Writing Affidavits for Protection Orders

A GUIDE FOR PEOPLE SEEKING PROTECTION ORDERS IN BC FAMILY COURTS

Authors: Gabrielle Clark and Andrea Bryson

For accessibility this guide has been translated to: Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, French, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, and Spanish.

This guide refers to BC’s Family Law Act and will not be applicable for survivors who are based outside of BC.

This guide covers protection order basics and answers question including who can a protection order be made against, who can apply for a protection order, who is covered by a protection order, what does a protection order do, how do you get a protection order, what happens after the protection order is made among others.

The guide also answers common questions from clients including how much information to include in the affidavit to apply for a protection order, who can write affidavits and questions regarding safety concerns.

This guide does not contain legal advice and we hope is used together with legal advice. Legal Aid BC’s duty counsel and Family LawLINE programs can often provide the fastest advice where there are safety issues. We urge all survivors to connect with a local Community Based Victim Services program to get help with practical safety planning. You can find your local program by phoning or texting VictimLinkBC at 1-800-563-0808.

We are thankful to the Department of Justice Canada: Independent Legal Advice and Independent Legal Representation for Victims of Sexual Assault and Intimate Partner Violence

We would appreciate your feedback on our educational resources. Click here.

For accessibility this guide has been translated to: Arabic, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, French, Hindi, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Russian, and Spanish.

Copy-editing by Naomi Pauls

Graphic design by Hands on Publications

Translation by MOSAIC