Last Updated: 20 August 2026 I Reading Time: Approx. 7 minutes
Summary
Domestic abuse is not limited to physical violence. It can include controlling or coercive behaviour, threats, sexual abuse, economic abuse and psychological or emotional abuse. It can happen as a single incident or as a pattern of behaviour.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, there is no single “right” way to respond. Leaving immediately is not always safe or possible, and taking action can sometimes increase risk. The most important consideration is your safety and the safety of any children or other people affected.
This guide sets out practical steps you may wish to consider, from creating a safety plan and seeking specialist support to preserving evidence and understanding possible legal protections.
Quick answer
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, prioritise your immediate safety and seek support from someone or an organisation you trust. Where it is safe to do so, consider creating a safety plan, keeping important evidence, securing access to money and documents, and obtaining legal advice about protection, housing, children and compensation. You do not have to leave immediately or take every step at once. Your circumstances and safety should guide what you do next.
In this article
- What counts as domestic abuse?
- 10 practical tips for people experiencing domestic abuse
- Creating a safety plan
- Getting specialist support
- Recording evidence safely
- Understanding legal protection
- Leaving an abusive relationship safely
- Compensation and criminal injury claims
- How GLP Solicitors can help
- Frequently asked questions
Key takeaways
- Domestic abuse is not always physical and can include coercive control, economic abuse, threats and psychological abuse.
- If you are in immediate danger, prioritise getting somewhere safe and contacting the emergency services.
- A personalised safety plan can help you prepare for different situations.
- Be careful when recording evidence or contacting support if the perpetrator monitors your phone, email or internet use.
- You may have legal options including Non-Molestation Orders, Occupation Orders and other protective measures, depending on your circumstances.
- Children who see, hear or experience the effects of domestic abuse can be recognised as victims under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021.
- You do not necessarily have to wait for a criminal conviction before exploring civil legal protection or a potential compensation claim.
- Specialist domestic abuse organisations can provide practical support alongside legal advice.
What is domestic abuse?
The term domestic abuse covers much more than physical violence.
Under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, domestic abuse can involve behaviour between people aged 16 or over who are personally connected, including partners, former partners, relatives and people who have, or previously had, a parental relationship concerning the same child.
The legislation recognises several forms of abusive behaviour, including:
- Physical or sexual abuse
- Violent or threatening behaviour
- Controlling or coercive behaviour
- Economic abuse
- Psychological, emotional or other abuse
It can consist of a single incident or a pattern of behaviour.
Economic abuse, for example, may involve behaviour that substantially affects someone’s ability to acquire, use or maintain money or property, or obtain goods and services.
Domestic abuse can happen after a relationship ends
Ending a relationship does not necessarily mean the abuse stops.
Former partners can still be considered personally connected for the purposes of the Domestic Abuse Act 2021, and abusive behaviour can continue through unwanted contact, threats, financial control, harassment or behaviour involving children.
If you are experiencing abuse from an ex-partner, you can still seek specialist support and advice.
1. Put your immediate safety first
If you are in immediate danger, your first priority should be getting yourself and any children to a safe place.
You do not need to wait until you have collected evidence, spoken to a solicitor or made a formal complaint before seeking help.
If possible, consider:
- Moving to a safer location.
- Going to a trusted friend, relative, refuge or other safe accommodation.
- Keeping essential medication and important documents accessible.
- Identifying an emergency contact.
- Thinking about how you could leave quickly if the situation escalates.
If you are planning to leave, consider getting specialist domestic abuse advice before doing so if it is safe to wait. Leaving can be a particularly high-risk period for some victims, so a safety plan should be tailored to your circumstances.
2. Create a safety plan
A safety plan is a practical plan for what you can do if you feel unsafe.
It might include:
- Where you could go in an emergency.
- Who you could contact.
- How you could leave safely.
- Important telephone numbers.
- Essential medication.
- Identification and financial documents.
- Arrangements for children.
- A small bag kept somewhere safe, if appropriate.
Your plan should be personal to you.
If the person abusing you monitors your movements, phone or finances, keeping a physical safety plan at home may not be appropriate. A domestic abuse specialist can help you work out a safer approach.
3. Tell someone you trust
Domestic abuse can be isolating.
If it is safe, consider telling someone you trust what is happening. This might be a friend, family member, colleague, GP, teacher, support worker or another professional.
You do not need to have everything worked out before asking for help.
Simply saying “I’m not safe at home and I need some support” can be a first step.
If you are supporting someone who has disclosed domestic abuse, try to listen without blaming or pressuring them to make decisions before they are ready.
4. Be careful about documenting the abuse
Keeping evidence can sometimes be useful if you later decide to report the abuse, seek a protective order or make a compensation claim.
Depending on the circumstances, evidence could include:
- Photographs of injuries or property damage.
- Messages, emails or voicemails.
- A record of incidents and dates.
- Medical records.
- Police incident or crime reference information.
- Financial records showing economic abuse.
- Evidence of stalking or unwanted contact.
- Information from witnesses.
However, do not put yourself at greater risk to collect evidence.
If the perpetrator checks your phone, accounts, location or browser history, saving evidence digitally may alert them to what you are doing.
A specialist domestic abuse organisation can help you think through safer ways of documenting what has happened.
5. Seek specialist domestic abuse support
You do not have to navigate domestic abuse on your own.
Specialist support organisations can help with issues such as:
- Safety planning.
- Emergency accommodation.
- Refuge options.
- Financial support.
- Housing.
- Emotional support.
- Understanding your legal options.
The latest Office for National Statistics information confirms that specialist domestic abuse services remain an important source of support for victims and survivors in England and Wales.
The Government’s domestic abuse support service information can also help you find appropriate support.
If you are looking for immediate support, you can use the National Domestic Abuse Helpline, which provides support around domestic abuse. A local authority information service updated in July 2026 confirms that the service operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
6. Consider your digital and financial safety
Technology can sometimes be used as part of domestic abuse.
For example, a perpetrator may attempt to:
- Monitor messages or emails.
- Access online banking.
- Track a person’s location.
- Control passwords.
- Monitor social media.
- Restrict access to money.
If it is safe to do so, consider reviewing your passwords, account security and privacy settings.
Financial safety can also be important. If you have concerns about economic abuse, a specialist support organisation or solicitor may be able to help you understand your options.
Do not make changes that could increase your immediate risk without considering the consequences first.
7. Understand the legal protection that may be available
There are legal options that can potentially help protect someone experiencing domestic abuse.
Depending on the circumstances, these can include Non-Molestation Orders and Occupation Orders under the Family Law Act 1996.
A Non-Molestation Order can restrict a person from using or threatening violence, harassing someone or contacting them in certain circumstances.
An Occupation Order can deal with who can live in or occupy a property in appropriate cases.
The right application will depend on your circumstances, relationship, housing situation and the type of abuse involved.
Domestic Abuse Protection Orders
The Domestic Abuse Protection Order (DAPO) regime is also developing.
DAPOs are designed to provide wider protection from domestic abuse, including non-physical abuse and controlling or coercive behaviour. They can include prohibitions and requirements, and breaching a DAPO is a criminal offence.
DAPOs have been subject to pilot arrangements in England and Wales, including a pilot involving Greater Manchester, before wider implementation.
The Government has also set out plans to roll DAPOs out across England and Wales.
Because the availability and operation of particular protective measures can depend on location and the stage of implementation, it is important to obtain advice based on your individual circumstances rather than assuming that a particular order is immediately available everywhere.
8. Think carefully about housing and leaving
If you decide that leaving is the safest option, you may have several practical issues to consider.
These can include:
- Where you will live.
- Whether you can safely collect your belongings.
- What happens to the family home.
- What happens to a tenancy.
- Whether children will move with you.
- How you will manage finances.
- Whether you need a protective order.
- Whether the perpetrator knows where you are going.
You do not necessarily need to solve all these issues before seeking help.
A domestic abuse support organisation can help you consider immediate safety and accommodation, while a solicitor can advise on relevant legal issues such as housing, occupation of the family home and children.
9. Consider whether you may have a compensation
Domestic abuse can cause physical and psychological injuries, and in some circumstances a victim may be able to pursue compensation.
Where the abuse amounts to a crime of violence and the relevant requirements are met, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) may provide compensation through the Government’s Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme.
CICA claims have specific eligibility requirements, evidence rules and time limits.
Importantly, a person should not assume that they cannot make a claim simply because there has been no conviction. The CICA scheme operates separately from the criminal prosecution process, although the incident generally needs to have been reported to the police and the applicant is expected to cooperate with the investigation and criminal justice process.
Whether a CICA claim is appropriate will depend on the circumstances, so specialist advice can be helpful.
10. Get legal advice when you are ready
You do not have to instruct a solicitor simply because you have spoken to one.
An initial discussion can help you understand what legal options may exist and what the potential consequences of different choices could be.
Depending on your circumstances, legal advice may cover:
- Protective orders.
- Family and children matters.
- Housing.
- Criminal injury compensation.
- Personal injury.
- Financial consequences of abuse.
- Evidence and documentation.
- Options following a police investigation.
The most appropriate route will depend on your circumstances. There is no one-size-fits-all legal response to domestic abuse.
What if I am not ready to leave?
You may not be ready, able or safe to leave.
That does not mean that the abuse is not serious and it does not mean you cannot seek help.
Domestic abuse specialists can work with you on safety planning without requiring you to make an immediate decision about leaving.
You may choose to seek advice privately, understand your legal rights, make a safety plan or simply talk to someone about what is happening.
Taking one step does not commit you to taking the next one.
What if children are affected by domestic abuse?
Children can be deeply affected by domestic abuse, even when they are not directly assaulted.
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 recognises children under 18 who see, hear or experience the effects of domestic abuse as victims where they are related to, or have a parental relationship with, the adult victim or perpetrator.
If children are involved, legal advice may be particularly important when considering:
- Where children should live.
- Contact with the other parent.
- Protective measures.
- School arrangements.
- Moving home.
- Evidence of domestic abuse.
The Family Court has specific procedures addressing domestic abuse and the potential harm it can cause in child arrangements proceedings.
The safety and welfare of children should remain central to decisions about arrangements and legal proceedings.
How GLP Solicitors Can Help
Domestic abuse cases can involve several different areas of law, and the appropriate legal route will depend on what has happened and what you need to achieve.
GLP Solicitors can provide advice where domestic abuse has resulted in physical or psychological injury and you are considering whether you may have a claim for compensation.
Our criminal injury team can help you understand the CICA process, including potential eligibility, evidence and the claims process.
Legal advice may also be appropriate if you need to understand whether there are other legal routes available to you.
We aim to explain your options clearly, without putting pressure on you to make a decision before you are ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are in immediate danger, prioritise getting somewhere safe and seeking emergency assistance. If it is safe to do so, consider telling someone you trust and contacting a specialist domestic abuse organisation for safety planning and practical support. You may also want to obtain legal advice about protective orders, housing, children or compensation. You do not have to deal with everything at once, and leaving immediately is not necessarily the safest option for everyone.
Domestic abuse can include physical or sexual abuse, violent or threatening behaviour, controlling or coercive behaviour, economic abuse and psychological or emotional abuse. It is not limited to physical violence and can consist of a single incident or a pattern of behaviour. The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 applies to people aged 16 or over who are personally connected, including partners, former partners, relatives and people with a parental relationship concerning the same child.
Potentially. Depending on your circumstances, you may be able to apply for a Non-Molestation Order or Occupation Order. Domestic Abuse Protection Orders are also being implemented through a pilot and planned wider rollout in England and Wales. DAPOs can provide protection from different forms of domestic abuse and can impose prohibitions or requirements on the perpetrator. The appropriate option depends on your circumstances, so specialist legal advice is recommended.
Potentially. If you have suffered a qualifying injury as a result of a violent crime, you may be able to claim through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). The scheme can cover certain physical and psychological injuries and, in appropriate cases, other losses or expenses. There are strict eligibility and time-limit rules, so you should obtain advice as soon as reasonably possible if you think you may have a claim.
A conviction is not necessarily required for a CICA claim. The CICA Scheme has its own eligibility and evidence requirements. Generally, the incident needs to have been reported to the police as soon as reasonably practicable, and the applicant is expected to cooperate with the police investigation and criminal justice process. Whether compensation is available depends on the individual circumstances and the evidence.
Financial dependence can be part of domestic abuse. Economic abuse is specifically recognised under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021. It can include behaviour that substantially affects someone’s ability to acquire, use or maintain money or property or obtain goods and services. Specialist domestic abuse organisations can help you explore practical options around money, housing and safety. Legal advice may also be appropriate where financial issues are connected to a relationship breakdown or other legal proceedings.
If children see, hear or experience the effects of domestic abuse, they can be recognised as victims under the Domestic Abuse Act 2021 in the circumstances set out by the legislation. If you are concerned about where your children should live or whether they should have contact with an abusive parent, specialist family law advice can help you understand your options and the factors a court may consider.
No. You can seek support and advice without deciding immediately to leave your relationship. In some situations, leaving can increase risk, so a safety plan should be tailored to your circumstances. Specialist domestic abuse organisations can help you consider your options confidentially, while a solicitor can explain potential legal protections and other routes available to you.
Related Services
Depending on your circumstances, the following GLP Solicitors services may be relevant: