Guide
There is violence at home,
and I need protection
Violence at home is a crime and it is also something a court can order stopped. Both routes exist, and they are not the same. This page shows what protection looks like in Pakistan, who can ask for it, and what an advocate does, including for a family abroad trying to help someone who is there.
Where this applies This page covers violence in a home in Pakistan. The law on protection differs from province to province. Punjab has its own act and its own centres; elsewhere the route runs through the police and the family court.
What this is about
There are two doors. The first is a report to the police, which treats the violence as a crime against the person who did it. The second is an application to a court for protection: an order that the person keeps away, that the woman stays in the home or is given somewhere safe, and that money is paid. The second door is often the one that changes daily life, and it can be opened without the first.
A family abroad usually cannot do this from where they are. What they can do is find an advocate in the right city, give the advocate what they know, and pay for the work. That is often the difference between a woman who gets out and one who does not.
What has to be in place
What has to be clear before anyone files.
Where she is now, and whether she is safe tonight. That comes before any paper.
What happened, when, and what can show it: medical papers, photographs, messages, a witness.
Which court and which office cover the place where she lives.
Note Your advocate confirms which of these apply to your case.
The documents you will be asked for
The papers that help, none of which is required to start.
- A medical report, if she was examined.
- Photographs, messages, and the names of anyone who saw or heard.
- Her identity document and the nikah nama.
How an advocate helps from where you are
What an advocate does.
- Tells you which route fits, and whether both should be used.
- Applies to the court for the protection order and the orders that go with it.
- Gets the report registered with the police where that is right, and follows it.
- Stands between her and the other side at every hearing, so that she is not alone in the room.
What to ask before you agree
- Which route fits her situation, and should both be used?
- How soon can a protection order be heard?
- If she cannot come to court, can you act for her, and how?
- What do you need from me, and by when?
- What is your fee, and what is not included in it?
More in Ending a marriage
My husband has said talaqEnding a marriage
I want to end my marriageEnding a marriage
My children and I are not being paid maintenanceEnding a marriage
Also relevant
Words you will meet
- protection order
- A court order that the person who used violence keeps away.
- residence order
- A court order that she may stay in the home, or be given a safe place.
- report
- The report to the police that starts a criminal case.
Sources
Official pages read on 11 September 2026. The page says only what these say, and what an advocate does; nothing specific to your case.
Checked
11 September 2026
Pakistan. Sources listed at the end of the page.