City First Solicitors

Principles for making protection orders:

When deciding on an application for a protection order it is important to ensure that the aggrieved person is protected from domestic or personal violence.

For a workplace order there is a need to ensure that employees are protected from personal violence in the workplace.

Two types of protection orders are available, a domestic violence order and a personal protection order.

What constitutes domestic violence?

A person’s behaviour is domestic violence if it
(a) causes physical injury to a relevant person; or
(b) causes damage to the property of a relevant person; or
(c) is directed at a relevant person and is a domestic violence offence; or
(d) is a threat, made to a relevant person, to do with anything in relation to the relevant person or another relevant person that, if done, would fall under (a), (b), or (c); or
(e) is harassing or offensive towards the relevant person.

City First Solicitors can offer mediation services for various disputes and conflicts or provide information about someone to contact. Mediation can prove an effective way of resolving disputes. Mediation enables both a fair and amicable resolution of the dispute.

The real “experts” in a dispute are usually the parties themselves. This means that decisions reached in mediation are often more workable and practical than decisions made by outsiders.

Mediation does not interfere with people’s legal right to use the Court, and does not lock them into a particular course of action. They may withdraw from mediation at any stage without prejudicing their position.

For most disputes, mediation is effective. About 80% result in an agreement between the parties, and most people are satisfied with the outcome and process of mediation.

What disputes are suitable for mediation?

Neighbours: such as fences, dogs, children’s behaviour, racism, abuse, drainage, noise etc.

Family: couples, parents/teenagers, grandparents, siblings etc.

Tenancy: rental bonds, conditions, group houses etc.

Workplace: grievances, working relationships etc.

Organisations: management committees, interagency disputes etc.

Business/
Consumer: partnerships, debts, unsatisfactory service etc.

Mediation is especially desirable where there is an ongoing relationship between the parties, since it provides a way of people solving the problem and remaining on good terms.