After you apply for a court order

Unless you’ve made an urgent application, you’ll get a date for your first court hearing after you apply.

If you need an interpreter or any other extra support let the court know as soon as possible.

You’ll also get copies of your application documents. These have to be given, or served, to the person you've made the order against (the respondent).

This should be done before the hearing, so that the respondent knows you have started legal proceedings against them.

Do not hand the forms to the respondent yourself.

Your solicitor will do this for you. If you don’t have a solicitor, you could ask the court to do it, or pay a professional process server to deliver it for you.

Court hearing

At the court hearing, you, the respondent and any legal advisers you have discuss your application in front of a judge or magistrates in private. Sometimes the hearing is done by phone or video call.

The outcome

The outcome of the hearing could be that:

  • the other side makes an undertaking not to do something again
  • the judge asks for more information to be given at another hearing – in the meantime you may get an interim order to protect you until then
  • the judge issues an order saying what the respondent can and can’t do

Telling the respondent about the order

If the respondent wasn’t there when the judge issued the order, they have to be told about it or they won’t know not to break it. Your protection only begins once they know.

Do not give a copy of the order to them yourself. Your solicitor will arrange to do it for you. If you don’t have a solicitor, you can ask the court to do it for free, or pay a professional process server to deliver it for you.

The police will also need a copy of the order so they’re aware of it.

More information

Related content

What happens if a court order is broken?

What’s an undertaking?