Protection orders · breaches · DV assault
Domestic & family violence
A domestic-violence allegation moves fast and touches everything — family, housing, work and reputation. Whether you are named in a protection-order application or charged with a breach, how you respond in the first days matters.
A protection-order application is a civil proceeding, but contravening an order is a criminal offence carrying up to three years — and five for a further offence within five years. The two systems interact, and a misstep in one can create exposure in the other.
We act for respondents to protection-order applications and for people charged with breaches and domestic-violence offences. The priority is a measured, evidence-based response that protects you without inflaming the situation — and, where the allegation is contested, testing it properly.
The charges — and what they carry
Figures are statutory maximums under Queensland law. Actual sentences are usually far lower — get advice about your matter.
Defences we run
- The allegation is contested or the evidence does not support it
- The order was not validly served or its terms were unclear
- The contact was inadvertent or consented to
- Negotiating the terms of an order to workable conditions
How we defend you
- We respond quickly and calmly to protect your position and any contact with children.
- We negotiate order conditions that you can realistically comply with.
- Where a breach or offence is contested, we test the complainant's account.
Questions people ask
Can I contest a protection order?
Yes. You do not have to consent to an order, and you can contest whether the grounds are made out. We advise on whether to contest, negotiate the conditions, or consent without admissions.
I accidentally messaged the protected person — is that a breach?
It can be, which is why any contact is risky. If you are charged, the circumstances — including whether contact was truly inadvertent — matter a great deal, and we address them directly.