If you are experiencing abuse from a former or current partner or a family member, Teach Tearmainn’s Court Accompaniment Service can support you. We provide practical and emotional support to women; before, during and after the court process.

This support includes:

• Assistance with understanding the court and legal processes.
• Support with understanding legal terminology
• Support with completing and submitting applications to the Legal Aid Board
• Support and accompaniment in application for a protection, barring, safety, custody and/or maintenance order, judicial separation, or divorce.
• Criminal court hearing accompaniment for assault charges against a spouse/partner.
• Support in navigating the court system.
• Referral to Teach Tearmainn’s Support & Outreach Service, Refuge, and Children’s Support Service.
• Support with creating safety plans for you and your children following a court hearing.
• Post Court Support and Information.

Protection Order: this order is a temporary safety order that the court can put in place, where reasonable grounds are presented for believing that the safety and welfare of you or of a dependent person is at risk, exists. The order lasts until the full hearing for a barring order or safety order.

Safety Order: this is a long-term order and it prohibits the respondent from being violent or threatening to you and a dependent person. The respondent is not obliged to leave the home if both parties reside together. A safety order stops the respondent coming to the place where you live if you do not reside together.

Interim Barring Order: this is a temporary order that remains in place for 8 working days until the court hears the full application for the barring order. It is an immediate order which requires the violent person to leave the home where there is an immediate risk of significant harm to you or a dependent person and a protection order would not be sufficient protection.

Emergency Barring Order: this order requires the violent person to leave the home and prohibits the person from entering the home. This is an immediate order where reasonable grounds to believe there is an immediate risk of significant harm to you or a dependent person exists. Order remains in place for 8 working days.

Barring Order: this prohibits the respondent from being violent or threatening to be violent to you or your children. The respondent must leave the place where you reside for a certain length of time.

Both Barring orders and Safety orders can stop the respondent from following you or communicating with you through any means. The end date of order is typically specified by the court.

To make an application for a legal order you must attend a District Courthouse. You will need to attend the public office in the local courthouse, the area where you live, or the area you would live, if the behaviour of the respondent did not require you to move to another area.

Click Here to access The Court Service of Ireland for more information on your local court : Naas Court Office | The Courts Service of Ireland.

Teach Tearmainn offers a Court Service in Naas Court, with support and court accompaniment at other District Courts across Kildare on request.

If you would like to avail of Teach Tearmainn’s Court Accompaniment service and you would like to make an appointment, please contact Teach Tearmainn on our confidential 24hr Helpline, on 1800 91 91 91.

We have provided a video example if you are feeling vulnerable and to offer you support. This video aims to support victims of crime/vulnerable witnesses coming to court, so that they can see the courtroom setting in advance, and the various people that they might interact with on the day:

Court Service Virtual Reality Video Tutorial