Explainer · Family · Last verified October 2026

Reliefs Available Under the Domestic Violence Act (2026)

Updated for 2026 · Claw Editorial

The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 gives a civil route to safety and support that does not depend on a criminal prosecution. Its strength is the range of orders a Magistrate can pass, and the fact that they can be sought together and granted quickly, even before the case is finally decided. This explainer sets out, in plain and neutral terms, the five main reliefs the Act provides, the interim orders that can come first, and how an application is made. It is general information, not legal advice. Anyone facing domestic violence should also consider immediate safety and local support services. Last verified October 2026.

01The short answer

Under the Act, a Magistrate can grant five kinds of relief to an aggrieved person: a protection order (Section 18), a residence order (Section 19), monetary relief (Section 20), a custody order (Section 21), and a compensation order (Section 22). These can be asked for together in a single application, and the Magistrate can also pass interim orders under Section 23 so that protection and support do not wait for the final decision.

The reliefs are civil in nature. The Act protects a woman in a domestic relationship, which includes a wife and others sharing a household, and the application is made to the Magistrate, often with the help of a Protection Officer. The sections below explain each relief.

02Protection order (Section 18)

A protection order is the core safety relief. Under Section 18, the Magistrate can order the respondent not to commit any act of domestic violence, not to aid or abet it, and can prohibit a range of related conduct, such as:

• Entering the aggrieved person's workplace, or a child's school.
• Attempting to contact the aggrieved person, including personal, written, telephonic or electronic contact.
• Committing violence against the aggrieved person's relatives or others who help them.

A protection order has real force: breach of a protection order is an offence under Section 31 of the Act, which is what distinguishes it from an ordinary direction. It is the relief most directly aimed at stopping harm.

03Residence order (Section 19)

A residence order protects the roof over the aggrieved person's head. Under Section 19, the Magistrate can, among other things:

• Restrain the respondent from dispossessing or disturbing the aggrieved person's possession of the shared household, whether or not the respondent has a legal interest in it.
• Direct the respondent to remove themselves from the shared household.
• Restrain the respondent or their relatives from entering the part of the household where the aggrieved person lives.
• In some cases, direct the respondent to provide alternative accommodation or pay rent for it.

The right to reside in the shared household is one of the most important protections in the Act, because losing the home is often the first pressure an aggrieved person faces.

The Act's reliefs can be sought together in one application, and granted on an interim basis, so safety and support need not wait for the final order.

04Monetary relief (Section 20)

Section 20 lets the Magistrate order the respondent to pay monetary relief to meet expenses and losses caused by the domestic violence. This can include:

• Loss of earnings.
• Medical expenses.
• Loss caused by destruction, damage or removal of property.
• Maintenance for the aggrieved person and their children, which can be in addition to or alongside maintenance under other laws.

The relief is meant to be adequate, fair and consistent with the standard of living the aggrieved person is used to. The Magistrate can order a lump sum or monthly payments, and can send the order to the respondent's employer for direct payment where needed.

05Custody order (Section 21)

Section 21 allows the Magistrate, while dealing with an application under the Act, to grant temporary custody of a child or children to the aggrieved person or to the person making the application on their behalf, and to set the terms of any visitation by the respondent.

This is a temporary, protective arrangement tied to the domestic violence proceeding; it is not a final decision on guardianship, which is dealt with under the general custody law. The Magistrate can refuse visitation if it would be harmful to the child. The guiding concern, here as in all custody questions, is the welfare of the child.

06Compensation order (Section 22)

Section 22 allows the Magistrate to order the respondent to pay compensation and damages for the injuries caused by the domestic violence, including mental torture and emotional distress, as distinct from the expense-based monetary relief under Section 20.

Where Section 20 reimburses losses and provides maintenance, Section 22 recognises the harm itself. The two can be ordered together. A later divorce does not wipe out liability for domestic violence already committed, so the entitlement to these reliefs can survive a change in marital status.

07Interim orders and how to apply

The Act is built for speed. Under Section 23, the Magistrate can pass interim orders for any of the reliefs while the case is pending, and can pass an ex parte order, based on the aggrieved person's affidavit, before the respondent is heard, where there is a prima facie case of domestic violence.

An application is made to the Magistrate under Section 12, usually with the assistance of a Protection Officer, who helps prepare a domestic incident report and connects the aggrieved person with medical, shelter and legal aid services. Under Section 26, these same reliefs can also be sought in other pending proceedings, such as a matrimonial case. For the step-by-step process, see how to file a domestic violence complaint, how to get a protection order, and how to get maintenance under the Domestic Violence Act.

08Where Claw fits

Claw is an all-in-one legaltech platform for Indian advocates, law firms, and corporate legal teams, combining AI-based case search, an AI legal assistant (Legal GPT), case management, and compliance automation across all Indian courts and tribunals.

Seeking relief under the Act is a sensitive, personal process, and Claw plays no part in that decision. Where Claw helps is in following a domestic violence matter once it is in the court system, which can run across several hearings and sometimes an appeal. Claw tracks family court, maintenance and domestic violence matters and appeals across 9,102 courts, benches and forums, with alerts and monitoring so a hearing date or a new order is not missed. Its Legal GPT researches across 30 crore+ judgments, with Supreme Court decisions from 1950 and High Court decisions from 1990, so a lawyer can quickly find how courts have applied the reliefs under the Act. Results return in under 5 seconds, and Claw does not train its AI models on your documents. To follow a specific matter, you can run a case search across Indian courts by party name. These matters are sensitive and fact-specific; none of this is legal advice, so take advice on your own situation, and seek immediate help if you are in danger.

09Sources and further reading

• India Code (Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005): indiacode.nic.in
• Ministry of Women and Child Development (the Act and services): wcd.nic.in
• eCourts (case status): ecourts.gov.in
• Claw: clawlaw.in

This explainer is general information, not legal advice. Domestic violence matters are sensitive and fact-specific; take advice from a qualified professional, and seek immediate help if you are in danger.

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