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New domestic abuse protection notices (DAPNs) and domestic abuse protection orders (DAPOs) will be rolled out across England and Wales from 25 November 2026, providing a new framework for protecting victims and survivors through the family, civil and criminal courts.
DAPOs are designed to provide courts with stronger and more flexible powers to impose conditions on perpetrators than existing protective orders. The new civil orders bring together elements of existing measures and are intended to become the primary protective order for domestic abuse cases.
Conditions may include prohibitions and restrictions, such as exclusion zones and no-contact requirements, as well as electronic monitoring and behavioural requirements, including participation in substance misuse programmes.
Perpetrators may also be required to provide the police with their name and address within three days of an order being made and to keep this information up to date for the duration of the order.
DAPOs can offer protection against all forms of domestic abuse and may remain in place for more than 28 years where necessary. They are also the first cross-jurisdictional domestic abuse protective orders, enabling applications and orders across the family, civil and criminal courts.
Civil legal aid will be available for DAPOs through providers holding either a 2024 Standard Civil Contract or a 2025 Standard Crime Contract. Criminal legal aid providers will, however, need to make applications for legal aid through the civil application system.
Training materials for legal aid providers are available through the Ministry of Justice's Legal Aid Learning platform.
Meanwhile, Rights of Women is holding a training session for legal professionals on 4 November, from 12.30pm to 2pm, examining the implications of the national rollout for practitioners and the survivors they advise and represent.
To register for the event, click here.
