Apprehended Violence Orders (AVOs)

General information only — not legal advice. Penalties and section numbers change; speak with us about your specific circumstances. Call (02) 6210 1075.

"AVO" — Apprehended Violence Order — is the NSW term for a protection order. Many Canberra residents and police still use the word AVO out of habit, although in the ACT these matters are handled as FVOs (family) or PPOs (personal). Andrew Byrnes Law Group acts in both jurisdictions and can guide you to the correct process whether your matter is filed in the ACT or in a nearby NSW Local Court such as Queanbeyan, Goulburn, Yass, Cooma or Wagga Wagga.

If your matter is in the ACT — read this first

In the ACT, what people commonly call an "AVO" is, in legal terms, either:

• A Family Violence Order (FVO) under the Family Violence Act 2016 (ACT), for family or domestic relationships; or
• A Personal Protection Order (PPO) under the Personal Violence Act 2016 (ACT), for non-family situations.

If your matter is in NSW — AVOs under NSW law

In NSW, protection orders are called AVOs and are made under the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW). There are two types:

• ADVO — Apprehended Domestic Violence Order: where the parties are in a domestic relationship.
• APVO — Apprehended Personal Violence Order: where the parties are not in a domestic relationship.

ACT or NSW protection order matter? Call (02) 6210 1075 to confirm the right pathway.

Breaching an AVO

Breaching an AVO is a criminal offence under the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW), punishable by imprisonment, fines and a criminal record.

Cross-border enforcement (ACT and NSW)

Under the national recognition scheme, an ACT FVO is enforceable in NSW and a NSW ADVO is enforceable in the ACT without separate registration.

Important — not legal advice

This page provides general information about ACT criminal law. It is not legal advice and must not be relied on as such. Laws, penalties, and section numbers change, and how the law applies depends on your specific circumstances. For advice tailored to your situation, contact Andrew Byrnes Law Group on (02) 6210 1075 or via our contact page.