Post-separation conflict and the use of family violence orders

181 parents in 164 different families across Australia, who had been involved in disputes about parenting after separation, were interviewed by the authors about the history of the dispute. In 37 per cent of the families there were known to have been applications for family violence orders ('FVOs') made by or on behalf of one of the former partners against the other. While there were some cases of severe physical violence, the majority of cases did not involve physical assaults causing injury, or a significant threat of such assaults. The research demonstrates the wide range of situations in which FVOs may be sought. FVOs were sought in a number of cases to manage the process of separation from one household into two, and to maintain boundaries following separation. They were also sought to address issues of verbal abuse or alleged harassment. While applicants reported a valid legal basis for applying for FVOs, in certain cases FVOs were used on legal advice for collateral purposes connected with potential family law disputes. While FVOs often played the protective role for which they were designed, they could also exacerbate conflict and make it harder to resolve parenting disputes. These findings raise questions about whether there needs to be some reform of state and territory laws on FVOs