Types of Apprehended Violence Orders
Before applying for or defending an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO), you need to know what type of AVO applies in your circumstances. If you are unsure what type of AVO you need or have been given, you should get legal advice.
This section has information about the two types of AVOs in NSW:
Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders
An Apprehended Domestic Violence Order (ADVO) protects a person from violence committed by someone that they are, or were, in a domestic relationship with.
A domestic relationship includes a relationship between people who:
- were or are married, in a de facto relationship, or in an intimate personal relationship
- are living together or have lived together
- are or have been living in the same residential facility (with some exceptions) or a detention centre
- are or have been relatives
- have or had a relationship where one person provides unpaid care for the other person
- in the case of an Aboriginal person or a Torres Strait Islander, have been part of each other's extended family or kin (according to the Indigenous kinship system of the person's culture).
From 3 December 2016, domestic relationship also covers the relationship between someone's current partner and their former partner.
Apprehended Personal Violence Orders
An Apprehended Personal Violence Order (APVO) protects a person from violence committed by someone that they are not, and have not, been in a domestic relationship with. This can include:
- a neighbour
- a co-worker
- a customer or a client
- a former friend
- a school bully
- any other person they have reason to fear.
For more information on applying for an AVO, see Getting an Apprehended Violence Order.
For more information on responding to an application for an AVO, see Defending an Apprehended Violence Order.