Defending an AVO

Information about responding to an application for an Apprehended Violence Order if you have been named as the defendant.

If you are named as the defendant in an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO) application, you need to consider how you are going to respond to the application. How you respond will determine what you need to do next.

The parties involved in an AVO application are called:

  1. Applicant: the person asking the Court to make an AVO. If it is a private application, the applicant will also be the protected person. If it is a police application, the applicant will be the police officer.
  2. Protected person: the person who wants protection from the defendant. They are also called the ‘Person in Need of Protection’ (PINOP), or complainant.
  3. Defendant: you are the defendant.

If you have lost your AVO, you can get a copy:

  • from the Local Court registry
  • by calling Court Service Centre on 1300 679 272 and asking for a copy to be posted to you
  • from your lawyer.

If you are Aboriginal, you can get a copy by:

  • speaking to the Aboriginal Service Unit worker at the Local Court
  • calling the Aboriginal Services Unit on 1300 679 272.

This information applies to Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders (ADVOs) and Apprehended Personal Violence Orders (APVOs).

Responding to an AVO application

Going to court

After court

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