{"id":2127088,"date":"2026-09-21T21:06:15","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T19:06:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/"},"modified":"2026-09-21T21:06:15","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T19:06:15","slug":"british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/","title":{"rendered":"British Facing Domestic Violence in France After Brexit: Protection Order, Police Complaint and Residence Rights \u2014 How to Get Safe Fast"},"content":{"rendered":"

If your partner has just hit you, threatened you or told you that calling the police will get you deported, read this first: in France, a British victim of domestic violence is protected whether or not she \u2014 or he \u2014 has filed a criminal complaint, whether or not the couple still live together, and whether or not the residence papers depend on the violent partner. The family judge (juge aux affaires familiales<\/em>, the specialist family court judge) can issue an emergency protection order within days, the police must record your complaint, and a victim who holds a protection order is entitled to her own one-year residence card, even if she entered France on her spouse’s coat-tails. None of this requires you to speak French: you have the right to be heard and understood. This guide walks you through the two tracks that matter \u2014 the criminal track (getting safe tonight, seeing a doctor, filing a complaint that counts) and the family track (the ordonnance de protection<\/em>, the children, your papers and your divorce) \u2014 with the exact statutes and the latest Court of Cassation rulings, quoted word for word, so that you can act today and challenge any refusal tomorrow.<\/p>\n

I. Tonight and This Week: Getting Safe, Seeing a Doctor and Filing a Complaint That Counts<\/h2>\n

A. What to Do in the First 24 Hours: Where to Go, Who to Call and How Language Stops Being a Barrier<\/h3>\n

Safety comes before procedure, and French law organises help around that order. If you are in immediate danger, call 17 (the police emergency number) or 112 (the European emergency number, answered in English). Both connect you to officers who can come to your home, remove the violent person on the spot and take you somewhere safe. For advice before or after the emergency, the national helpline 3919 (Violences Femmes Info<\/em>) offers a first-level response and directs callers toward local support services, as the official service-public.fr information page confirms. Keep these two numbers in your telephone under neutral names if your partner checks your calls.<\/p>\n

The second reflex is medical proof. Go to your doctor, to A&E (urgences<\/em>), or to a hospital forensic unit (unit\u00e9 m\u00e9dico-judiciaire<\/em>, the hospital department that examines victims of violence) and ask for a medical certificate (certificat m\u00e9dical<\/em>) describing every injury, however small, and stating the number of days of total incapacity for work (incapacit\u00e9 totale de travail<\/em>, universally shortened to ITT). The ITT figure is not about your job: it is the yardstick French criminal law uses to grade violence, as you will see below, and it can be set at zero days without weakening your case. Photograph injuries, torn clothing and broken furniture, save threatening messages, and write down what happened while it is fresh, with dates, places and any witnesses \u2014 neighbours who heard shouting, children who were present, the friend you telephoned afterwards. This file of proof (dossier de preuves<\/em>) will serve twice: before the criminal courts and before the family judge.<\/p>\n

The third step is the police station or the gendarmerie. You can report violence to any commissariat de police<\/em> or brigade de gendarmerie<\/em>, including one far from your home if you fear being followed, and you can be accompanied by a friend, a relative, a victims’ association worker or a lawyer. Officers must take your statement: the filing of a complaint (d\u00e9p\u00f4t de plainte<\/em>) is a right, not a favour, and you can also write directly to the public prosecutor (procureur de la R\u00e9publique<\/em>) at the local tribunal judiciaire<\/em>. If your French is shaky, say so immediately and ask for an interpreter: in a country where you do not speak the language, the authorities must make sure you understand what you are signing and what happens next, and victims’ associations across Paris and the \u00cele-de-France routinely attend appointments to translate the practical side. Bring your passport, any residence permit, the medical certificate, your photographs and your written account. Ask for a copy of your complaint receipt (r\u00e9c\u00e9piss\u00e9 de d\u00e9p\u00f4t de plainte<\/em>) before you leave: it proves the date of your report and opens the door to compensation procedures later, including becoming a civil party (partie civile<\/em>) to claim damages inside the criminal trial, a route our assault-victims guide explains step by step for British readers.<\/p>\n

Two threats that violent partners use constantly deserve an immediate answer. First, no, withdrawing your complaint does not end the case: once the prosecutor knows about the violence, he can prosecute anyway, and your statement stays in the file. Second, no, reporting violence does not put your own residence at risk \u2014 quite the opposite, as Part II.B shows: French law gives the victim her own papers precisely so that immigration blackmail stops working. If the police ever refuse to record your complaint or minimise what happened, you can have a lawyer write to the prosecutor, contact a victims’ association (association d’aide aux victimes<\/em>, present in every tribunal judiciaire<\/em>), and challenge any decision to drop the case (classement sans suite<\/em>) by becoming a civil party before the investigating judge \u2014 the same challenge route described in our guide for British assault victims in France<\/a>.<\/p>\n

B. Why French Criminal Law Punishes Partner Violence More Harshly: Prison Terms, Harassment and the Ex-Partner Rule<\/h3>\n

French criminal law does not treat a slap from a partner like a slap from a stranger. Violence committed by a spouse, cohabiting partner (concubin<\/em>) or civil-partnership partner (partenaire de PACS<\/em>) carries an aggravating circumstance (circonstance aggravante<\/em>) that raises the penalty at every level of seriousness. Article 132-80 of the Criminal Code<\/a> states: “Dans les cas respectivement pr\u00e9vus par la loi ou le r\u00e8glement, les peines encourues pour un crime, un d\u00e9lit ou une contravention sont aggrav\u00e9es lorsque l’infraction est commise par le conjoint, le concubin ou le partenaire li\u00e9 \u00e0 la victime par un pacte civil de solidarit\u00e9, y compris lorsqu’ils ne cohabitent pas.” \u2014 penalties are aggravated when the offence is committed by the spouse, cohabitant or civil partner, even where they do not live together. In plain terms: having moved out, or never having lived together, never saves the violent partner.<\/p>\n

The scale climbs with the medical consequences. Where the violence causes no incapacity for work or an ITT of eight days or less, Article 222-13 of the Criminal Code<\/a> punishes it with three years’ imprisonment and a 45,000 euro fine when committed “6\u00b0 Par le conjoint ou le concubin de la victime ou le partenaire li\u00e9 \u00e0 la victime par un pacte civil de solidarit\u00e9” \u2014 by the victim’s spouse, cohabitant or civil partner. The same article raises the penalty to five years’ imprisonment and a 75,000 euro fine where a child watches the scene: “Alors qu’un mineur assiste aux faits et que ceux-ci sont commis par le conjoint ou le concubin de la victime ou le partenaire li\u00e9 \u00e0 la victime par un pacte civil de solidarit\u00e9”. If your children were in the next room, or clinging to you while it happened, say so explicitly to the police and the doctor \u2014 their presence is a statutory aggravator, not background detail. Where the ITT exceeds eight days, Article 222-12 of the Criminal Code<\/a> takes over with five years’ imprisonment and a 75,000 euro fine for the same partner circumstance. This is why the medical certificate matters so much: the ITT number written on it directly selects the charge.<\/p>\n

Violence is not only blows. Repeated degrading words and behaviour from a partner that wreck your living conditions and damage your physical or mental health constitute harassment within the couple (harc\u00e8lement au sein du couple<\/em>). Article 222-33-2-1 of the Criminal Code<\/a> provides: “Le fait de harceler son conjoint, son partenaire li\u00e9 par un pacte civil de solidarit\u00e9 ou son concubin par des propos ou comportements r\u00e9p\u00e9t\u00e9s ayant pour objet ou pour effet une d\u00e9gradation de ses conditions de vie se traduisant par une alt\u00e9ration de sa sant\u00e9 physique ou mentale est puni de trois ans d’emprisonnement et de 45 000 \u20ac d’amende lorsque ces faits ont caus\u00e9 une incapacit\u00e9 totale de travail inf\u00e9rieure ou \u00e9gale \u00e0 huit jours ou n’ont entra\u00een\u00e9 aucune incapacit\u00e9 de travail et de cinq ans d’emprisonnement et de 75 000 \u20ac d’amende lorsqu’ils ont caus\u00e9 une incapacit\u00e9 totale de travail sup\u00e9rieure \u00e0 huit jours ou ont \u00e9t\u00e9 commis alors qu’un mineur \u00e9tait pr\u00e9sent et y a assist\u00e9.” Constant insults, control of your money and friendships, threats to take the children or have you deported, checking your telephone: reported together with their effect on your health, these form a criminal offence in their own right, punishable even where there was never a blow and never a day off work.<\/p>\n

Leaving him does not end the protection \u2014 it extends it. The second paragraph of Article 132-80<\/a> continues: “La circonstance aggravante pr\u00e9vue au premier alin\u00e9a est \u00e9galement constitu\u00e9e lorsque les faits sont commis par l’ancien conjoint, l’ancien concubin ou l’ancien partenaire li\u00e9 \u00e0 la victime par un pacte civil de solidarit\u00e9. Les dispositions du pr\u00e9sent alin\u00e9a sont applicables d\u00e8s lors que l’infraction est commise en raison des relations ayant exist\u00e9 entre l’auteur des faits et la victime.” The aggravation therefore follows the ex-partner, provided the offence is committed because of the former relationship. The Court of Cassation enforces this broadly. In a ruling of 2 May 2024 (no. 23-85.986), the Criminal Chamber held: “Il r\u00e9sulte de ce texte que la commission d’une infraction par l’ancien conjoint, concubin ou partenaire li\u00e9 par un pacte civil de solidarit\u00e9 constitue une circonstance aggravante, d\u00e8s lors que cette infraction est commise en raison des relations ayant exist\u00e9 entre l’auteur des faits et la victime” \u2014 and it quashed a Lyon appeal decision that had refused the aggravation for violence around the handover of the couple’s child, ruling that facts “commis en raison de l’ancienne relation de couple des int\u00e9ress\u00e9s” necessarily trigger it (Crim., 2 May 2024, no. 23-85.986<\/a>). Arguments over contact with the children after separation are the classic setting for post-separation violence, and this decision says the ex-partner aggravation applies there too.<\/p>\n

II. The Family Judge Route: the Protection Order That Removes Him, Shelters the Children and Secures Your Papers<\/h2>\n

A. The Ordonnance de Protection: a Six-Day Decision With No Prior Complaint Needed, Weapons Seized, Home Kept and Twelve Months of Cover<\/h3>\n

Alongside the criminal case \u2014 or entirely without one \u2014 you can ask the family judge for an emergency protection order (ordonnance de protection<\/em>), the single most powerful civil tool French law offers victims. Article 515-9 of the Civil Code<\/a> provides: “Lorsque les violences exerc\u00e9es au sein du couple, y compris lorsqu’il n’y a pas de cohabitation, ou par un ancien conjoint, un ancien partenaire li\u00e9 par un pacte civil de solidarit\u00e9 ou un ancien concubin, y compris lorsqu’il n’y a jamais eu de cohabitation, mettent en danger la personne qui en est victime ou un ou plusieurs enfants, le juge aux affaires familiales peut d\u00e9livrer en urgence \u00e0 cette derni\u00e8re une ordonnance de protection.” Three points in that sentence change everything for British victims. First, couples who no longer live together \u2014 and even ex-partners who never lived together \u2014 are covered. Second, danger to your children alone can justify the order. Third, the judge acts “en urgence”, urgently, and Article 515-10 of the Civil Code<\/a> adds the sentence victims need most: “Sa d\u00e9livrance n’est pas conditionn\u00e9e \u00e0 l’existence d’une plainte p\u00e9nale pr\u00e9alable.” No prior criminal complaint is required. You can seek protection first and decide about the criminal complaint afterwards, at your pace.<\/p>\n

The procedure is built for speed and for frightened applicants. You apply to the family judge of the tribunal judiciaire<\/em> \u2014 in practice the court covering the family home, which for Paris and the inner suburbs means filing at the Paris courthouse, where an English-speaking lawyer or victims’ association can help you complete the official form Cerfa 15458*07, the form the service-public.fr portal makes available for requests for a protection order<\/a>. The public prosecutor can also apply with your agreement. As soon as your application arrives, the judge summons both sides “par tous moyens adapt\u00e9s” \u2014 by any suitable means, including telephone \u2014 for a hearing held in chambers (chambre du conseil<\/em>, a private hearing, not a public trial), and each side may bring a lawyer; the two hearings can even be held separately if facing him terrifies you. Then comes the statutory deadline: Article 515-11 of the Civil Code<\/a> orders that “L’ordonnance de protection est d\u00e9livr\u00e9e, par le juge aux affaires familiales, dans un d\u00e9lai maximal de six jours \u00e0 compter de la fixation de la date de l’audience, s’il estime, au vu des \u00e9l\u00e9ments produits devant lui et contradictoirement d\u00e9battus, qu’il existe des raisons s\u00e9rieuses de consid\u00e9rer comme vraisemblables, y compris lorsqu’il n’y a pas de cohabitation ou qu’il n’y a jamais eu de cohabitation, la commission des faits de violence all\u00e9gu\u00e9s et le danger auquel la victime ou un ou plusieurs enfants sont expos\u00e9s.” Note the standard of proof: “des raisons s\u00e9rieuses de consid\u00e9rer comme vraisemblables” \u2014 serious reasons to regard the alleged violence and the danger as plausible. You do not need to prove the violence the way a criminal court does; plausible, documented danger is enough. Bring your medical certificate, photographs, messages, witness statements and any police receipt: each piece makes plausibility harder to deny.<\/p>\n

What the order can contain is remarkably concrete. At delivery, the judge may forbid him to meet or contact named persons “de quelque fa\u00e7on que ce soit” \u2014 in any way whatsoever \u2014 and to enter places you regularly go; order him to hand over any weapons to the nearest police station and ban him from holding or carrying arms (a refusal to impose the weapons ban must be specially reasoned); propose a health, social or psychological programme or an accountability course, with the prosecutor informed if he refuses; rule on the spouses’ separate residence and give use of the family home to the non-violent spouse \u2014 “sauf ordonnance sp\u00e9cialement motiv\u00e9e” \u2014 even where she has already fled to emergency shelter, with the costs chargeable to the violent spouse; award her the family pet; and settle parental authority and contact on the spot. These are not wishes: breach of a protection order is itself a criminal offence punished with imprisonment, and the police enforce it. The measures run for up to twelve months from notification, and Article 515-12 of the Civil Code<\/a> states: “Les mesures mentionn\u00e9es \u00e0 l’article 515-11 sont prises pour une dur\u00e9e maximale de douze mois \u00e0 compter de la notification de l’ordonnance. Elles peuvent \u00eatre prolong\u00e9es au-del\u00e0 si, durant ce d\u00e9lai, une demande en divorce ou en s\u00e9paration de corps a \u00e9t\u00e9 d\u00e9pos\u00e9e ou si le juge aux affaires familiales a \u00e9t\u00e9 saisi d’une demande relative \u00e0 l’exercice de l’autorit\u00e9 parentale.” Filing for divorce or asking the judge to rule on parental authority during those twelve months therefore extends your shield \u2014 one more reason to start the family case early rather than waiting for the criminal trial.<\/p>\n

The Court of Cassation confirmed in 2024 how far this shield reaches for mothers. Where a mother credibly endangered by her partner has children, the family judge can restrict the father’s contact with the children to protect her, without proving a separate danger to the children themselves. The First Civil Chamber held: “lorsque le juge aux affaires familiales estime qu’il existe des raisons s\u00e9rieuses de consid\u00e9rer comme vraisemblables la commission des faits de violence all\u00e9gu\u00e9s et le danger auquel est expos\u00e9e la victime et que celle-ci est parent d’un ou plusieurs enfants, il peut, pour assurer sa protection, interdire \u00e0 la partie d\u00e9fenderesse de recevoir ou de rencontrer le ou les enfants, ainsi que d’entrer en relation avec eux, de quelque fa\u00e7on que ce soit, autrement qu’\u00e0 l’occasion du droit de visite qu’il lui a, le cas \u00e9ch\u00e9ant, accord\u00e9, et de se rendre au domicile familial o\u00f9 la victime demeure avec eux” (Civ. 1re, 23 May 2024, no. 22-22.600<\/a>). If he uses child handovers to threaten or control you, show this decision to your lawyer: supervised or restricted contact plus exclusion from the family home is exactly what the order can impose, and the highest civil court has approved it.<\/p>\n

B. Your Papers, Your Children and Your Divorce: the One-Year Card That Frees You From His Sponsorship<\/h3>\n

For many British victims, the deepest fear is administrative: your right to live in France comes from your marriage \u2014 if you report him or divorce him, will the pr\u00e9fecture<\/em> take your card away? French law answers with a dedicated residence permit for victims. Article L425-6 of the immigration code (CESEDA)<\/a> provides: “L’\u00e9tranger qui b\u00e9n\u00e9ficie d’une ordonnance de protection en vertu de l’article 515-9 du code civil, en raison des violences exerc\u00e9es au sein du couple ou par un ancien conjoint, un ancien partenaire li\u00e9 par un pacte civil de solidarit\u00e9 ou un ancien concubin se voit d\u00e9livrer, dans les plus brefs d\u00e9lais, une carte de s\u00e9jour temporaire mention ” vie priv\u00e9e et familiale ” d’une dur\u00e9e d’un an.” A one-year temporary card marked “private and family life”, issued as quickly as possible \u2014 and the usual prior-visa requirement (“La condition pr\u00e9vue \u00e0 l’article L. 412-1 n’est pas opposable”) cannot be held against you. The same article continues: “Une fois arriv\u00e9e \u00e0 expiration elle est renouvel\u00e9e de plein droit \u00e0 l’\u00e9tranger qui continue \u00e0 b\u00e9n\u00e9ficier d’une telle ordonnance de protection. Lorsque l’\u00e9tranger a port\u00e9 plainte contre l’auteur des faits elle est renouvel\u00e9e de plein droit pendant la dur\u00e9e de la proc\u00e9dure p\u00e9nale aff\u00e9rente, y compris apr\u00e8s l’expiration de l’ordonnance de protection.” Renewal is therefore automatic while the order lasts, and if you have filed a complaint it continues automatically for the whole criminal case, even after the order expires. Take the protection order to the pr\u00e9fecture<\/em> immediately, keep copies of everything you file, and if the counter refuses or delays, have a lawyer challenge the refusal before the administrative tribunal (tribunal administratif<\/em>): a refusal to issue a card the statute says must be delivered “dans les plus brefs d\u00e9lais” is exactly the kind of decision judges overturn, and any removal order (obligation de quitter le territoire fran\u00e7ais<\/em>) served while your application is pending must be challenged within its short deadline, as our British OQTF-challenge guide<\/a> explains.<\/p>\n

The children question runs on a parallel track. Parental authority (autorit\u00e9 parentale<\/em>) is normally joint, but the protection order can reorganise contact at once, and the divorce or parental-authority case that follows will fix residence, visiting rights and maintenance (pension alimentaire<\/em>) durably. French judges decide these matters by the child’s best interests, and documented violence weighs heavily: the plausibility finding from your protection order, the medical certificates and any criminal conviction travel with you into the divorce file. If he threatens to take the children to England, tell your lawyer at once \u2014 France and the United Kingdom are both bound by the 1980 Hague Convention on child abduction, which provides a fast return procedure, but speed is everything, so act within days, not months. Where to file the divorce itself, which country’s law applies and how the French decree gets recognised back in Britain are questions a lawyer should map out with you at the first appointment, asking in particular how the French decree will be recognised back in Britain.<\/p>\n

Finally, money and aftermath. Inside the criminal trial you can constitute yourself a civil party and claim damages for physical injury, psychological harm and lost earnings; the judge can also order the convicted person to pay your legal costs. Keep every receipt \u2014 medical bills, locksmith and rehousing costs, travel to hearings, unpaid leave \u2014 because each becomes a head of loss. If the violence forced you out of work, the job-loss and benefits machinery (sick leave, unemployment rights built up in France, including with credited UK years) still applies to you exactly as to any other resident. And if the marriage ends, the division of property, compensatory allowance (prestation compensatoire<\/em>) and the fate of the French home follow the divorce track, where the documented violence strengthens your negotiating position on every point from the timetable to the home itself.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

French law gives a British victim of partner violence three shields that work together: tonight, the police and the doctor, whose records grade the offence and trigger the aggravated penalties for spouses, cohabitants, civil partners and ex-partners; within days, the family judge, who can remove him from the home, seize his weapons, restrict contact with the children and protect you for twelve months on a test of plausibility, not full proof; and for the year ahead, your own residence card, renewed automatically while the protection or the criminal case lasts, so that papers can never again be used as a leash. Call 17 or 112 in danger, call 3919 for guidance, get the medical certificate, file the complaint, and apply for the protection order with a lawyer beside you \u2014 then challenge without hesitation any officer who will not record you, any pr\u00e9fecture<\/em> that will not deliver your card, and any order that falls short of your safety. Each of these refusals has a judge waiting to overturn it.<\/p>\n

Need a quick opinion on your case.<\/h2>\n

If you are facing violence from your partner in France and need to move fast \u2014 protection order, complaint, children, papers or divorce \u2014 our firm offers a telephone consultation within 48 hours with a solicitor of the chambers. Call +33 6 46 60 58 22<\/a> or contact us via our contact page<\/a>. We assist British clients throughout Paris and the \u00cele-de-France, in English, from the first emergency steps to the final judgment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Hit, threatened or controlled by your partner in France? No complaint is needed for an emergency protection order, the home goes to the victim, and a one-year residence card is yours by right \u2014 the exact statutes, court rulings and first-24-hour steps.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":251031309,"featured_media":4190,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kj_source_type":"","_kj_official_id":"","_kj_official_url":"","_kj_judilibre_id":"","_kj_jur":"","_kj_lieu":"","_kj_chambre":"","_kj_rg":"","_kj_date":"","activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":4,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"federated","footnotes":""},"categories":[80312,80314],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2127088","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-british-desk","category-decryptage"],"yoast_head":"\nBritish Facing Domestic Violence in France After Brexit: Protection Order, Police Complaint and Residence Rights \u2014 How to Get Safe Fast - Ma\u00eetre Reda Kohen, Real Estate and Business Law Attorney in Paris<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"British Facing Domestic Violence in France After Brexit: Protection Order, Police Complaint and Residence Rights \u2014 How to Get Safe Fast\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Hit, threatened or controlled by your partner in France? No complaint is needed for an emergency protection order, the home goes to the victim, and a one-year residence card is yours by right \u2014 the exact statutes, court rulings and first-24-hour steps.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Ma\u00eetre Reda Kohen, Real Estate and Business Law Attorney in Paris\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-09-21T19:06:15+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Kohen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Kohen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"18 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/21\\\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/21\\\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Kohen\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6254a643e6239d803134a01c800381bd\"},\"headline\":\"British Facing Domestic Violence in France After Brexit: Protection Order, Police Complaint and Residence Rights \u2014 How to Get Safe Fast\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-21T19:06:15+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/21\\\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":3700,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/21\\\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/08\\\/giammarco-boscaro-eWpBNXRHfTI-unsplash.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"British Desk\",\"D\u00e9cryptage\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"citation\":\"British Facing Domestic Violence in France After Brexit: Protection Order, Police Complaint and Residence Rights \u2014 How to Get Safe Fast\",\"about\":[{\"@type\":\"Thing\",\"name\":\"British Desk\"},{\"@type\":\"Thing\",\"name\":\"D\u00e9cryptage\"}],\"dateModified\":\"2026-09-21T19:06:15+00:00\",\"speakable\":{\"@type\":\"SpeakableSpecification\",\"cssSelector\":[\".article-content > p:first-of-type\"]}},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/21\\\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/21\\\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\\\/\",\"name\":\"British Facing Domestic Violence in France After Brexit: Protection Order, Police Complaint and Residence Rights \u2014 How to Get Safe Fast - Ma\u00eetre Reda Kohen, Real Estate and Business Law Attorney in Paris\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/21\\\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/21\\\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/08\\\/giammarco-boscaro-eWpBNXRHfTI-unsplash.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-09-21T19:06:15+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/21\\\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/21\\\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/21\\\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/08\\\/giammarco-boscaro-eWpBNXRHfTI-unsplash.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/08\\\/giammarco-boscaro-eWpBNXRHfTI-unsplash.webp\",\"width\":5932,\"height\":3955},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/2026\\\/09\\\/21\\\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"British Facing Domestic Violence in France After Brexit: Protection Order, Police Complaint and Residence Rights \u2014 How to Get Safe Fast\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/\",\"name\":\"Kohen Avocats\",\"description\":\"Ma\u00eetre Reda Kohen, attorney specialized in real estate and business law in Paris, advises and assists companies and individuals in their real estate, commercial and contractual transactions. He also handles real estate litigation and the resolution of complex commercial disputes.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Kohen Avocats\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/05\\\/Logo-2-1.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2024\\\/05\\\/Logo-2-1.webp\",\"width\":2114,\"height\":1253,\"caption\":\"Kohen Avocats\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/6254a643e6239d803134a01c800381bd\",\"name\":\"Kohen\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1c5e76ef76bbbfdd2b4da984e2bf2fa4056fd51a27d25ce2c332047f1dfd6e00?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1c5e76ef76bbbfdd2b4da984e2bf2fa4056fd51a27d25ce2c332047f1dfd6e00?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/1c5e76ef76bbbfdd2b4da984e2bf2fa4056fd51a27d25ce2c332047f1dfd6e00?s=96&d=identicon&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Kohen\"},\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/kohenavocats.fr\\\/en\\\/author\\\/kohenmlk\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"British Facing Domestic Violence in France After Brexit: Protection Order, Police Complaint and Residence Rights \u2014 How to Get Safe Fast - Ma\u00eetre Reda Kohen, Real Estate and Business Law Attorney in Paris","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"British Facing Domestic Violence in France After Brexit: Protection Order, Police Complaint and Residence Rights \u2014 How to Get Safe Fast","og_description":"Hit, threatened or controlled by your partner in France? No complaint is needed for an emergency protection order, the home goes to the victim, and a one-year residence card is yours by right \u2014 the exact statutes, court rulings and first-24-hour steps.","og_url":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/","og_site_name":"Ma\u00eetre Reda Kohen, Real Estate and Business Law Attorney in Paris","article_published_time":"2026-09-21T19:06:15+00:00","author":"Kohen","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Kohen","Est. reading time":"18 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/"},"author":{"name":"Kohen","@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/6254a643e6239d803134a01c800381bd"},"headline":"British Facing Domestic Violence in France After Brexit: Protection Order, Police Complaint and Residence Rights \u2014 How to Get Safe Fast","datePublished":"2026-09-21T19:06:15+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/"},"wordCount":3700,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/giammarco-boscaro-eWpBNXRHfTI-unsplash.webp","articleSection":["British Desk","D\u00e9cryptage"],"inLanguage":"en-US","citation":"British Facing Domestic Violence in France After Brexit: Protection Order, Police Complaint and Residence Rights \u2014 How to Get Safe Fast","about":[{"@type":"Thing","name":"British Desk"},{"@type":"Thing","name":"D\u00e9cryptage"}],"dateModified":"2026-09-21T19:06:15+00:00","speakable":{"@type":"SpeakableSpecification","cssSelector":[".article-content > p:first-of-type"]}},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/","url":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/","name":"British Facing Domestic Violence in France After Brexit: Protection Order, Police Complaint and Residence Rights \u2014 How to Get Safe Fast - Ma\u00eetre Reda Kohen, Real Estate and Business Law Attorney in Paris","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/giammarco-boscaro-eWpBNXRHfTI-unsplash.webp","datePublished":"2026-09-21T19:06:15+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/giammarco-boscaro-eWpBNXRHfTI-unsplash.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/giammarco-boscaro-eWpBNXRHfTI-unsplash.webp","width":5932,"height":3955},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/2026\/09\/21\/british-domestic-violence-france-protection-order-complaint-residence-challenge-brexit\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"British Facing Domestic Violence in France After Brexit: Protection Order, Police Complaint and Residence Rights \u2014 How to Get Safe Fast"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/#website","url":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/","name":"Kohen Avocats","description":"Ma\u00eetre Reda Kohen, attorney specialized in real estate and business law in Paris, advises and assists companies and individuals in their real estate, commercial and contractual transactions. He also handles real estate litigation and the resolution of complex commercial disputes.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/#organization","name":"Kohen Avocats","url":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Logo-2-1.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Logo-2-1.webp","width":2114,"height":1253,"caption":"Kohen Avocats"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/#\/schema\/person\/6254a643e6239d803134a01c800381bd","name":"Kohen","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1c5e76ef76bbbfdd2b4da984e2bf2fa4056fd51a27d25ce2c332047f1dfd6e00?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1c5e76ef76bbbfdd2b4da984e2bf2fa4056fd51a27d25ce2c332047f1dfd6e00?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1c5e76ef76bbbfdd2b4da984e2bf2fa4056fd51a27d25ce2c332047f1dfd6e00?s=96&d=identicon&r=g","caption":"Kohen"},"url":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/author\/kohenmlk\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2127088","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/251031309"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2127088"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2127088\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4190"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2127088"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2127088"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kohenavocats.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2127088"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}