Skip to main content

Domestic Violence & Abuse in Chesterfield, Sheffield, Dronfield and Mansfield

How Banner Jones can help you

Domestic violence and abuse can take many forms, such as emotional, sexual, and even financial abuse, and does not necessarily have to involve any physical assault. Domestic violence is often thought of as a marital issue, but in truth it can affect anyone, of any gender, age, or cohabitation status. The Government definition of domestic abuse is “any incident of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between those aged 16 or over who are or have been intimate partners or family members, regardless of their gender or sexuality”. You do not need to be romantically involved with someone, or even living together, in order to be a victim of domestic violence. For a victim of domestic violence, it is easy to feel trapped by your circumstances, with nowhere to turn to in order to get help. The most important thing to remember is that this is not the case. There is a large support network available for victims of abuse and violence, and our own expert legal team are on-hand to support you in both securing legal protection, and in putting you in contact with the best support organisations to ensure you get all the help you need.

Victims of domestic violence and abuse have several legal options available to them, and our team are here to assist in any way we can in order to make sure you get the help you need.

Domestic violence and abuse cases are eligible for ‘Legal Aid’ depending on your financial circumstances. This is a Government programme which provides funding for legal fees in certain areas. There are different levels of Legal Aid available depending on the circumstances of your case and we can advise on what level of Legal Aid is appropriate to your situation.

Warning Letter

This is a letter from a solicitor, to the abuser, outlining the grievance and telling them to discontinue their behaviour. This is a formal warning to the abuser, and their final chance to stop the abuse before things are escalated to the courts.

Applications to the Court

If a Warning Letter does not stop the behaviour, then there are two types of order that can be obtained to provide the protection required. In certain circumstances, these can be obtained without notice to the abuser:  

  • Non-Molestation Order

A Non-Molestation Order expressly forbids the abuser from using or threatening violence towards another person and/or encouraging other people to act on their behalf in this manner. The order can also be obtained for the children. It can prevent the abuser from making contact by phone or other digital means as well as by social media or any other platforms.

A Non-Molestation Order is usually granted for between 6-12 months depending on the circumstances of the situation.

It is a criminal offence if a Non-Molestation Order is breached and the Police arrest the abuser.

  • Occupation Order

An Occupation Order states who can live in the family home, which can secure your occupation in the home. It can also force the abuser to leave the home they share with the victim as well as include that they are required to contribute to the household financially, such as paying towards the mortgage/rent and any bills. The terms of the order varies depends on the circumstances of the case and what is required.

A Power of Arrest can be attached to an Occupation order, which gives the Police power to arrest the abuser for breaching the order.

An Occupation Order is usually granted for between 6-12 months depending on the circumstances of the situation.

We at Banner Jones will be with you throughout the whole process. With domestic violence and abuse often occurring within a family, our Family Team are also able to assist with any ‘next steps’ moving forward, and will be able to guide you through all your options in terms of protecting any children and divorce proceedings.

Domestic Violence Support

If you are concerned about someone you know, it is important to be on the lookout for the signs of domestic violence and abuse. Domestic violence does not necessarily have to be physical, and the emotional damage it can cause can be much harder to notice.

An abuser will often use controlling behaviour to try to close the person off from other relationships they have with friends and family, in order to make them more reliant on the abuser. They may discourage them from attending social events, or accuse them of cheating or spending time with people they shouldn’t. This controlling behaviour may also see them try and tell them how to act and what to wear, or how to spend their money. Threats are often used to try and get the person to do what they want, as well as insults and negative comments to lower their self-esteem in order to take advantage of them.

Common signs of the effect of this sort of behaviour are a change in personality. This may be if someone starts speaking more negatively about themselves and their appearance, or seeming very reluctant to speak to friends & family they had previously been close with. If you are worried about someone you know, try and engage them in a conversation and keep a look out for the following signs:

  • They feel guilty talking to you in the first place, or mention their partner isn’t happy about them speaking to you
  • They seem overly critical of themselves
  • They mention their partner going through their personal conversations, like text messages or e-mails on their phone
  • They seem very stressed, nervous, or worried
  • They give their partner unusually large gifts, or talk about passing them an asset such as a property or financial interest.

Domestic Violence Advice

Our  Family Law team work closely with local organisations and charities. If you would like to seek any further support, we recommend contacting any of the following, who will be more than happy to help:

Sheffield DACT - https://sheffielddact.org.uk/ 0808 808 2241

The Elm Foundation - https://theelmfoundation.org.uk/ 01246 540464

Women’s Aid - https://www.womensaid.org.uk/

The Men’s Advice Line - https://mensadviceline.org.uk/ 0808 8010327

Refuge - https://www.refuge.org.uk/ 0808 2000 247

MIND - https://www.mind.org.uk/ 0300 123 3393

Shelter - https://www.shelter.org.uk/ 0808 800 4444

Bright Sky (free mobile app) –

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.newtonmobile.hestia&hl=en_GB

iOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/bright-sky/id1105880511

Common Domestic Violence & Abuse Questions

Is there any other circumstances where I can qualify for Legal Aid?

For most people, where there is no domestic violence within the relationship, or domestic violence that can be proved to the standard required by the Legal Aid Authority, there is no Public Funding available for Divorce, Dissolution of Civil Partnerships, financial matters and children matters.

What counts as Domestic Violence?

The Legal Aid Authority will accept the following evidence as domestic violence outlined in our PDF guide.

This must be provided by you before we are able to sign you up to any form of Legal Aid, unless you are looking for Help with Mediation, a Domestic Violence Injunction or Local Authority Care Proceedings relating to children.

Please note that the allegations have to be in relation to the person that you are currently having problems with.  These allegations cannot be in relation to a previous or different partner as you will not qualify for Legal Aid.

Where else can I get support to help me deal with my experience?

NAPAC- NAPAC is a UK registered charity which was set up to offer a range of services and support to adult survivors of all types of childhood abuse including neglect and physical, sexual and emotional abuse.

NSPCC- The NSPCC is a UK registered children’s charity fighting against child abuse. They help protect children from child abuse and also help those who have been abused to rebuild their lives.

Samaritans - The Samaritans is a charity which provides confidential, emotional support, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, to anyone suffering emotional distress or struggling to cope, across the UK.

HAVOCA- HAVOCA, or Help for Adult Victims of Child Abuse, is a forum run by adult survivors of child abuse, which offers support, friendship and advice to those who have been affected by childhood abuse.

Male Survivor - Male Survivor is an organisation which provides life-changing support including forums and a range of recovery therapies to male adult survivors of child abuse.

Action on Elder Abuse - Action on Elder Abuse, or AEA, is a specialist organisation in UK focusing on the issue of elder abuse and offering a range of guidance and support services to those who have been affected by elder abuse

Divorce and Family law

Thanks for your assistance with my case, your advice has been invaluable, and I would certainly recommend Banner Jones to my family and friends.

Mr P Sheffield

We take data privacy very seriously, and we want you to understand and feel confident about how we collect, store and handle your personal data. If you’d like to find out more you can read our Privacy Policy.

Talk to our team

We take data privacy very seriously, and we want you to understand and feel confident about how we collect, store and handle your personal data. If you’d like to find out more you can read our Privacy Policy.