Police can now issue two different documents, and they work very differently. Talk to Joseph Rahim about which one you have and what you can do about it.
Free, confidential first consultation. No obligation.
If the document gives you a court date, it is a notice, and if it runs for 12 months with no court date, it is a direction.
Issued by police under the Domestic and Family Violence Protection Act 2012. It counts as an application to court and you must attend the court named on it. It stays in force until the matter is heard. At the first mention you have the same options as for any application.
In place across Queensland since 1 January 2026. It is issued by an officer and approved by a supervising officer, starts when you are served or told about it, and runs for 12 months unless it ends earlier. It does not go to court the way a notice does.
Both documents have conditions that bind you from service, and breaching either is a criminal offence.
Pick the one closest to your situation and a chat opens with it already said. No forms, and you can call instead at any time.
Every matter is different, but most follow this order.
An application is filed, or police issue a police protection notice. Its conditions bind the respondent from the moment of service.
At the Magistrates Court the respondent can consent, consent without admissions, ask for an adjournment to get advice, or contest. A temporary order can be made in the meantime.
Evidence is usually filed beforehand. The magistrate decides whether the parties are in a relationship the Act covers, whether domestic violence has occurred, and whether an order is necessary or desirable.
A final protection order usually lasts five years, unless the court sets a different period.
You do not have to try one before the other. The direction stays in force during any review.
Apply within 28 days after you are served with the notice of grounds, unless the commissioner allows longer. A Senior Sergeant or Inspector reviews it, looking only at the circumstances when it was issued.
Available at any time while the direction is in force, with no filing fee. It should be listed within 14 days of filing. The court can set the direction aside, end it on a stated day, or make a protection order.
If you want a police review of a direction, do not wait, because the time limit is short.
The protected person cannot consent to a breach, and contact still counts even when they are the one who starts it.
A notice or direction goes to whether you are a fit and proper person to hold a weapons licence.
Joseph Rahim, Principal. LLB (First Class Honours), Grad Dip LP. Member, Queensland Law Society. About Joseph
When you call Coral Coast Law, you speak with Joseph Rahim, and he handles your matter himself.
No. Both are in use. A notice goes to court, while a direction runs for 12 months without a court date.
Yes. An officer can tell you about it by phone, email, text or social media, and it starts then.
28 days after you are served with the notice of grounds, unless the commissioner allows longer.
Yes. It is free, confidential and comes with no obligation.
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The sooner you get advice, the more can be done. Tell Joseph what has happened and find out exactly where you stand, with no cost and no pressure.
0447 028 080This page is general information about Queensland law. It is not legal advice. Every matter turns on its own facts, so speak with us about yours.
