Legal Protection and Support for Victims of Coercive Control and Domestic Abuse in Enfield
Domestic abuse is not limited to physical violence. Coercive control — a pattern of behaviour designed to dominate, isolate, and manipulate — is one of the most common and devastating forms of abuse, and it has been a criminal offence in England and Wales since 2015. If you are experiencing any form of domestic abuse in Enfield, Edmonton, or North London, you deserve protection and support.
At Adel Jibs & Co Solicitors, we provide compassionate, urgent legal assistance to victims of domestic abuse. We understand how frightening it can be to take the first step, and we are here to help you every step of the way.
What Is Coercive Control?
Coercive control is defined under Section 76 of the Serious Crime Act 2015 as a pattern of behaviour by a partner, ex-partner, or family member that is designed to make you subordinate, dependent, isolated, or afraid. It does not require a single dramatic incident — it is the cumulative effect of ongoing controlling behaviour that causes serious harm.
Examples of Coercive Control
Coercive control can take many forms, and victims often do not recognise what is happening to them until they receive outside support. Common examples include:
- Financial abuse: Controlling your access to money, preventing you from working, monitoring your spending, running up debts in your name, or forcing you to hand over your earnings
- Isolation: Cutting you off from friends and family, monitoring your phone and social media, controlling who you can see and when
- Monitoring and surveillance: Tracking your location via your phone, checking your emails and messages, installing cameras or recording devices
- Threats and intimidation: Threatening to harm you, your children, or your pets; threatening to share intimate images; threatening deportation if you are not a British citizen
- Controlling daily life: Dictating what you can wear, where you can go, what you can eat, or when you can sleep
- Emotional and psychological abuse: Gaslighting, constant criticism, humiliation, making you feel worthless or crazy
- Using children as weapons: Threatening to take the children, undermining your parenting, using contact arrangements to maintain control
- Sexual abuse: Pressuring or forcing you into sexual acts, using sex as a tool of control
If any of these behaviours sound familiar, please know that this is abuse and you have legal options. Our solicitors in Enfield can help you understand your rights and take steps to protect yourself and your children.
Coercive Control as a Criminal Offence
Since 29 December 2015, coercive or controlling behaviour in an intimate or family relationship has been a criminal offence carrying a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment. The offence applies where the behaviour has a serious effect on the victim, meaning it causes them to fear that violence will be used against them on at least two occasions, or it has a substantial adverse effect on their day-to-day activities.
You can report coercive control to the police. However, we understand that many victims feel unable or unwilling to pursue criminal proceedings. Even if you do not wish to involve the police, you can still take action through the family courts to protect yourself.
Protection Orders — How the Family Court Can Help
Non-Molestation Orders
A non-molestation order is one of the most effective forms of legal protection available. It prohibits the abuser from:
- Using or threatening violence against you
- Intimidating, harassing, or pestering you
- Contacting you directly or indirectly
- Coming within a specified distance of your home, workplace, or your children’s school
Breach of a non-molestation order is a criminal offence, carrying a maximum sentence of five years in prison. This makes these orders particularly powerful as a deterrent.
In urgent cases, we can apply for a non-molestation order “without notice” — meaning the court can grant it without the abuser being present or even knowing about the application. This is vital for ensuring your safety before the abuser has a chance to react. We regularly obtain emergency orders for clients in Enfield and North London within 24 to 48 hours.
Occupation Orders
An occupation order regulates who can live in the family home. The court can order an abuser to leave the property and not return, even if they are the owner or tenant. This can be crucial for victims who would otherwise have to leave their home to escape abuse.
Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs)
The Domestic Abuse Act 2021 introduced Domestic Abuse Protection Orders (DAPOs), which are designed to provide more comprehensive protection than existing orders. Key features of DAPOs include:
- They can be applied for by the police, the victim, or a third party
- They can include a wide range of conditions tailored to the specific situation
- They can require the perpetrator to attend a behaviour change programme
- They can include electronic monitoring (such as GPS tagging) to enforce conditions
- Breach is a criminal offence with a maximum sentence of five years
DAPOs represent a significant strengthening of the protections available to victims of domestic abuse.
Impact on Financial Settlements
Domestic abuse and coercive control are increasingly relevant in financial proceedings on divorce. The courts are now much more willing to consider the impact of abuse when deciding how to divide assets. Specifically:
- A history of financial abuse may result in a larger share of assets being awarded to the victim
- The court can take into account the economic impact of abuse — for example, if the victim was prevented from working or building a career
- Conduct that is “inequitable to disregard” (such as serious domestic abuse) can influence how the court exercises its discretion
- The court may order a larger lump sum or longer period of maintenance to reflect the victim’s disadvantaged position
Impact on Child Arrangements
The family courts take domestic abuse extremely seriously when making decisions about children. Under Practice Direction 12J, the court must:
- Consider whether allegations of domestic abuse are proven (through a fact-finding hearing if necessary)
- Assess the risk to the child and the other parent
- Consider whether any contact with the abusive parent can take place safely
- Where contact is ordered, consider whether it should be supervised or subject to conditions
The presumption that involvement of both parents is in a child’s best interest is disapplied where there is evidence that a parent has caused or is at risk of causing harm to the child or the other parent.
Legal Aid for Domestic Abuse Cases
One of the most important things to know is that legal aid is available for victims of domestic abuse. You may qualify for legal aid to cover the costs of:
- Applying for non-molestation and occupation orders
- Divorce proceedings
- Child arrangement proceedings
- Financial settlement proceedings
To access legal aid, you will generally need to provide evidence of domestic abuse, which can include:
- A police report or criminal conviction
- A letter from a GP or hospital confirming injuries consistent with abuse
- A letter from a domestic abuse support service or refuge
- A non-molestation or occupation order (or an undertaking given in court)
- A MARAC (Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conference) referral
- Evidence from social services
You will also need to pass a means test based on your income and capital. If you are in Enfield or North London and are unsure whether you qualify, our team can assess your eligibility quickly and confidentially.
How to Get Help
If you are experiencing domestic abuse or coercive control, you are not alone. Here are steps you can take:
- Contact us: Adel Jibs & Co Solicitors can provide immediate legal advice and help you obtain emergency protection orders. Call us on 020 3417 3859.
- National Domestic Abuse Helpline: Call 0808 2000 247 (free, 24 hours, run by Refuge)
- Women’s Aid: Visit www.womensaid.org.uk for information and support
- Men’s Advice Line: Call 0808 801 0327 (for male victims of domestic abuse)
- Galop: Call 0800 999 5428 (for LGBT+ victims of abuse)
- In an emergency: Always call 999. If you cannot speak, call 999 and then press 55 — this will alert the operator that you need help.
Contact Our Domestic Abuse Solicitors in Enfield
Adel Jibs & Co Solicitors is committed to supporting victims of domestic abuse and coercive control. We act swiftly, sensitively, and with absolute discretion. You do not need to face this alone.
Get in touch today:
- Phone: 020 3417 3859
- Email: info@adeljibssolicitors.co.uk
- Visit us: Our office in Enfield, North London
Your safety comes first. Whether you need an emergency protection order, advice on leaving an abusive relationship, or help with divorce and child arrangements, our Enfield team is here for you. Contact us now — we can help.
Serving Enfield, Edmonton, Southgate, Palmers Green, Winchmore Hill, Tottenham, Wood Green, and all of North London.