What can the courts do to help me?

You can seek various orders from the court that will help you. Some examples are peace bonds, restraining orders, access orders, and an order for exclusive possession of the family home.

Peace Bond – If you are afraid for your safety, you can also ask a judge for a peace bond. The peace bond requires your spouse to keep the peace and offers other conditions.

Restraining orders and access orders – If you or your children have been the subject of abuse, you can ask the court to make an order that they stay away from you or that they have no access or supervised access to your children. If you get a restraining order, it must be served on your spouse as soon as possible(someone else can serve it). After it is served, you may call the police if your spouse tries to violate the order.

Exclusive possession of the family home – If your spouse is violent, you can get a court to grant you exclusive possession of the family home. In other words, you can ask your spouse to leave your home so you can stay there regardless of who has title to the home.

In making an order for exclusive possession, a judge will look at a few factors: was there abuse in the relationship? Is there another suitable place for you to live? Is it best for the children to remain in their home? What is your financial position?