Domestic abuse

If you're experiencing domestic abuse from someone you live with (or used to live with) you may want to leave your home. You may be able to get a court order that stops the abusive person from contacting you or staying in the home.

You can talk to a Women's Aid helpline worker 24 hours a day on 0800 917 1414.

What is domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse is any physical, psychological, sexual or financial abuse that forms a pattern of controlling behaviour within a family type relationship. This could include abuse by your:

partner,
husband or wife,
ex-partner, ex-husband, or ex-wife,
parent,
child.

What can I do to stop it?

If you're experiencing violence and want to stay in your home you may be able to get a court order. The court order could order the person to:

stop being violent,
stay away from your home,
stop contacting you.

The violent person can be arrested if they break the court order. You do not have to own the property to be able to get a court order. You can get more information about how to get a court order from Housing Rights Service or Women's Aid .

If you already have a court order but the person is not taking any notice of it you should call the police or contact your solicitor immediately.

Should I leave my accommodation?

If you're at risk of violence you may need to leave your accommodation temporarily until you can sort out your situation. You should try to arrange temporary accommodation before you leave your home. This could be:

staying with family and friends,
arranging a room at a bed and breakfast,
arranging a room at a hostel,
arranging to move to a refuge.

What should I take with me?

If you do decide to leave your accommodation immediately there are some items you should bring with you. The list below is an outline of what you may need to take with you:

Identification for you and your children,
Toiletries and clothes for you and your children,
School and medical records, including the telephone numbers of the school and your GP or surgery,
Money, bankbooks, cheque book and credit cards,
Keys,
Prescribed medication and vitamin supplements,
Passports, visas and work permits,
Mortgage details or lease and rental agreements.

Where can I go in an emergency?

There is a range of temporary accommodation available. In brief, you can:

stay with friends and family,
stay in a bed and breakfast,
stay in a hostel,
stay in a refuge.

As the majority of victims of domestic abuse are female, there are more agencies to help female victims. Male victims may only find limited support available to them. You can also contact your local Housing Executive District Office. The Housing Executive has a legal duty to give housing advice and information on preventing homelessness to anyone who asks in Northern Ireland.

The best option for a female victim of domestic abuse is to contact a women's refuge. A women's refuge is able to offer support not usually available in other temporary accommodation. A refuge can offer you:

staff with specialist knowledge of domestic abuse to offer support and advice,
provision for children, with trained staff to help.

You can contact Women's Aid 24 hours a day on 0800 917 1414 for advice, support and information. You can also call your local refuge. The telephone numbers are available in the telephone book. The Advice Services Directory also contains details of your local Woman's Aid organisation.

What housing options are available to me?

It is sometimes very difficult to leave an abusive relationship permanently and your housing options depend on your personal circumstances. Your housing choice may be limited by:

the likelihood of retaliation,
if you are a joint tenant or a sole tenant,
your marital status,
your desire to stay in your own home,
any court orders,
the areas you are interested in moving to.

Remaining in your home

Remaining in your home can be both a short term and a long term solution to your domestic abuse problems. If you are confident enough to stay in your home you can get injunctions which may order the person to:

stop being violent,
stay away from your home,
stop contacting you.

If you decide to stay in your home you will not disrupt your life by moving from your familiar surroundings and a network of friends and family. However, remaining in your home does have a number of disadvantages:

the person may refuse to leave,
there is no guarantee that the person will stay away,
the person may know where to find you,
the attacks may get worse if the person believes they are losing their home,
it may be too expensive to stay in the home by yourself.

If you are thinking of staying in your home you should get advice as soon as possible.

Moving to new accommodation

If you are looking for permanent accommodation you will usually have three options:

rent from a private landlord,
apply as homeless to the Housing Executive,
apply for permanent accommodation from the Housing Executive or a housing association using the Selection Scheme.

Renting privately is usually the most expensive option and the quality of accommodation can vary.

You can apply to the Housing Executive as homeless. The Housing Executive has a legal duty to give housing advice and assistance to anyone who asks in Northern Ireland. If the Housing Executive decides that you meet the homelessness tests you will be given Full Duty Applicant status and will be entitled to permanent accommodation.

You can also apply for accommodation from the Housing Executive or a registered housing association using the Selection Scheme. You will usually have to wait longer for accommodation if the Housing Executive decides that you are not homeless.