Support

Help that is independent of us

These services are not part of this website and they are not connected to any law practice. Some are for people who are afraid. Some are for people who want to change their own behaviour. Both matter, and both are on this page on purpose.

Last updated: 23 September 2026

An apprehended violence order matter is rarely only a legal problem. There is usually somewhere to sleep to sort out, family to tell, work to manage and a great deal of fear on at least one side of it.

Nothing on this page is legal advice and nothing on it is a referral we are paid for. Each service below is listed with its own website, because that is where the current telephone number and hours will always be. If a number here does not connect, use the website.

If you are in immediate danger

Call 000. Ask for police. That is true whoever you are and whatever is alleged.

If you cannot speak safely, stay on the line. If it is not an emergency but you need police, contact your local police station.

If you have been served with an order, follow its conditions while you deal with everything else. Conditions apply from the moment you are served, and contravening one is a criminal offence.

If you are the person an order protects and you are worried about your safety, do not rely on this website for advice. Ring one of the services below, or Legal Aid NSW, which publishes information for people applying for an order.

Counselling and crisis support

These services are national, confidential and free to call. They are not connected to the court and they do not report what you tell them to police, except in the limited circumstances any service must.

You can ring them whether you are the person who is afraid, the person the order is against, or a family member watching it happen.

1800RESPECT — the national domestic, family and sexual violence counselling, information and support service. 1800 737 732, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Lifeline — 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention. 13 11 14.
13YARN — a national crisis support line for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, staffed by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander crisis supporters. 13 92 76, 24/7 from any phone.

These numbers were read off each organisation’s own website on 23 September 2026. Services change their numbers and their hours, so if one does not connect, follow the link rather than assuming the service has closed.

If you want to change your own behaviour

This is a legitimate thing to want, and saying it out loud does not weaken your position in a court matter. It is also the only part of any of this that is entirely within your control.

The Men’s Referral Service, run by No to Violence, is a telephone service for men who want to stop using violent or controlling behaviour, and it can refer you to a behaviour change programme. 1300 766 491, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

A programme is not a substitute for legal advice, and enrolling in one does not decide what happens to an application. It is, however, something a court can be told about, and it is one of the things that can support a later application to vary or revoke an order.

Free legal information and help at court

Legal Aid NSW publishes information about apprehended violence orders written for the people going through them, including a section for defendants on responding to an application and on applying to vary or revoke an order afterwards. Its getting more help page sets out the services that may be available, including at court.

LawAccess NSW provides free legal information and referral in New South Wales. Its telephone number could not be confirmed on the day this page was written, so it is not printed here; search for LawAccess NSW or ask at any Local Court registry.

Duty services at court. Many Local Courts have a duty service that can give limited help on the day. Ask at the registry when you arrive whether one is available and how to be put on its list, and arrive early if you intend to.

Interpreters. If English is not your first language, ask the court registry about an interpreter before your court date. The Translating and Interpreting Service is an interpreting service provided by the Department of Home Affairs and is used by many agencies.

A duty service is not a substitute for having your own lawyer, and it cannot usually run a contested hearing for you. It is often enough to stop somebody agreeing to an order they do not understand.

The court and the police

The Local Court of New South Wales publishes a plain description of what an apprehended violence order is, who applies for one, and what happens at court when a defendant agrees or disagrees with the application.

The NSW Police Force publishes information about who can apply for an order, what conditions an order can include, and what to do in an emergency.

Both are official sources and both are free. Where anything on this website disagrees with them, they are right.

Practical things people forget

Somewhere to sleep, if an order excludes you from where you live. Ask about temporary accommodation before the night it becomes urgent.

Your documents: identification, bank cards, medication, work equipment. Collecting belongings from an address named on an order has to be arranged properly, often with police present, and not by simply going there.

Telling your employer only what you need to. If your work depends on a licence, a registration or a working with children check, get advice about what you are actually required to disclose before you disclose anything.

Someone to go to court with you. A support person cannot speak for you, but a long day in a courthouse is much harder alone.

Do not ask the protected person to help with any of these, and do not send someone else to ask on your behalf. If a condition prohibits contact, contact through another person is still contact.

If you want legal help as well

The services above are independent of us. If you also want advice about your own matter, the enquiry form is the way to start.

Enquiries

Through the form on our contact page.

In an emergency

If you are in immediate danger, call 000.

Who you are contacting

AVO Defence Lawyers is an informational website about apprehended violence orders in New South Wales. About sets out who provides legal services through it.