Types of apprehended violence orders

In this guide, we explain how the court can protect you using an apprehended violence order (AVO).

Violence is when someone: 

• hurts you 
• scares you 
• controls you.

An AVO is a legal order to protect someone from being harmed by another person.

You can apply for an AVO if someone has: 

• used violence against you
• scared or threatened you.

An AVO explains the rules a person must follow.

These rules are called orders.

You can find out more about orders in an AVO on our website. 

There are 2 types of AVO: 

• apprehended domestic violence order 
• apprehended personal violence order. 

We explain these below.

This is a type of AVO that protects people from family and domestic violence.

Family and domestic violence is when someone close to you hurts you, such as: 

• your partner, like your boyfriend or girlfriend 
• someone in your family 
• someone who takes care of you
• someone you live with.

It also includes people who used to be close to you. 

For example, an ex-partner.

This is a type of AVO that protects people from someone they are not very close to.

For example: 
 

• a neighbour

• someone they work with

• someone who used to be their friend

• someone who bullies them at school.

A provisional AVO is an AVO the police can apply for to protect someone straight away.

It lasts until the court decides about: 

• an interim AVO

• a final AVO.

A person can have an interim or final AVO and a provisional AVO at the same time. 

This can happen if the AVOs have different orders.

The court can decide to add new orders from the provisional AVO to the interim or final AVO.

This is an AVO made by the court to protect someone while they decide about the final AVO.

The court must make an interim AVO if the person took part in a serious crime.

For example, sexual assault. 

Sexual assault is when someone: 

• does something sexual to you that you don’t want them to do 
• makes you do sexual things you don’t want to do.

A provisional AVO can become an interim AVO if the court sees proof that someone is in danger.

A final AVO protects someone from being harmed by another person for a long time.

You need to go to court to get a final AVO. 

You need to prove that someone has: 

• used violence against you 
• scared or threatened you.

The court will decide if they need to give someone a final AVO.

The court can still decide about the final AVO if the person using violence doesn’t come to court.

The court will also decide how long the final AVO should last.

But some final AVOs don’t end. 

This only happens if: 

• the person who needs protection asked for it

• the person who needs protection will still be at risk of violence

• the person using violence was more than 18 years old when the AVO started.

If you applied for an AVO, you can ask the court to change it.

For example, if you want: 

• the AVO to last longer
• to change the orders 
• to end the AVO.

A person who received the AVO can also ask to change it.

They must ask the court before they can apply to change the AVO.

Other pages for you: 

• Orders in an AVO 
• Get an AVO