What if my partner shows up at my home although they aren’t supposed to?

Call 911 right away. (If your community doesn’t have 911 service, call your local police emergency phone number.) Remember that all family law protection orders can be enforced by the police. Explain that you have a protection order and that the person named in the order hasn’t obeyed its conditions. (It’s also a good idea to call your lawyer, if you have one.)

It’s a crime to not obey the terms of a family law protection order. The order says this, so your partner will know. If they breach the order, in most cases, the police will arrest them (particularly if you’re in danger). Then the police will ask Crown counsel to charge them with a crime.

If your partner is found guilty of not obeying the terms of the order, they may be fined, sent to jail, or put on probation. They’ll have a criminal conviction on their record. The judge will choose the punishment based on the details of the case. Unless the circumstances are very serious or your partner has a history of not obeying court orders, the judge won’t usually choose the maximum fine or sentence.