1) First client intake & risk assessment

• Take detailed facts: timeline of incidents, types of abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, economic/coercive control), injuries, witnesses, children, addresses, bank/asset details, any prior FIRs, medical reports.

• Check urgency: ongoing violence, risk to life, child risk, imminent eviction, forced removal from shared house.

• Obtain client instruction & execute retainer; explain civil (PWDVA) v. criminal remedies, confidentiality, and likely timeline.

2) Immediate safety & evidence preservation

• Advise client to get medical reports (MLC) and police complaint (FIR) if physical/sexual assault or criminal conduct.

• Preserve digital evidence: screenshots, call logs, WhatsApp chats (download originals where possible), photographs, CCTV. Make contemporaneous notes and get witness contact details.

• If urgent, get emergency help: shelter homes (Delhi’s govt/NGO shelters), Protection Officer assistance, or call police.

3) Emergency interim reliefs — who to apply to & how

• In most DV matters, file an application under the PWDVA before the appropriate Magistrate (usually the Metropolitan Magistrate or Family Court/SDM court exercising PWDVA jurisdiction). The PWDVA allows immediate reliefs such as protection orders, residence orders (exclusive occupation of shared household), monetary relief, custody/visitation directions and interim maintenance.

• File a CrPC §125 application in parallel if the client needs prompt subsistence/maintenance (CrPC 125 is fast and powerful — often used with, or instead of, PWDVA monetary relief).

• If criminal acts are present (assault, 498A, dowry), file an FIR with local police and coordinate both proceedings; an FIR creates immediate criminal redress and possible arrest/investigation.

4) Drafting the PWDVA application — what to include

• Aggrieved person’s particulars, respondent details, relationship status, residence details.

• Clear narrative (chronology) of incidents with dates/times, injuries, threats, financial control, forced eviction attempts, denial of food/medical care, dowry demands.

• Reliefs sought (tick the relevant remedies): protection order, residence order (exclusive occupation), monetary relief (monthly maintenance/compensation/expenses), custody/temporary custody, orders to produce documents, direction to Protection Officer/Service Provider to assist, and interim relief.

• Attach supporting documents: MLCs, medical bills, FIR copy (if any), photographs, bank statements showing denial of funds, school records for children, witness affidavits.

5) Role of Protection Officers & Service Providers (PWDVA implementation)

• PWDVA provides for Protection Officers who assist aggrieved persons — they can help lodge complaints, appear before court, arrange shelter homes, and coordinate with police and hospitals. In Delhi, Protection Officers and NGOs are active; always request the court to direct Protection Officer to assist.

• Seek court direction for Protection Officer to file status reports, assist in mediation (if safe), and ensure implementation of orders (residence, police interventions).

6) Interim hearings & urgent orders

• At first hearing, press for interim protection order and residence order if the client is at risk of eviction or cannot access the shared household.

• Seek ex-parte interim relief if respondent is absconding or there is imminent risk (court may grant ex-parte residence or protection orders).

• For monetary relief, file interim maintenance application with supporting proof of respondent’s income; concurrently move CrPC 125 for a quicker maintenance order if necessary.

7) Parallel criminal strategy

• If acts constitute offences (assault, sexual assault, criminal intimidation, dowry), file an FIR and request police investigation.

• Coordinate evidence gathering between civil PWDVA proceeding and criminal case (medical reports, witness statements, MLCs).

• Be careful: PWDVA is civil and remedial; criminal cases can be used as corroboration but keep the client informed about double proceedings.

8) Discovery, documents & third-party evidence

• Seek production of financial documents (bank statements, salary slips, property papers), telephone records, tenancy agreements, and emails.

• Where respondent hides assets, engage a forensic accountant and seek freezing or injunctions if necessary (apply to the court for attachments).

• Use Protection Officer to get shelter/rehabilitation documents and police to recover property/items if needed.

9) Witnesses & victim support

• Prepare witness affidavits (family members, neighbours, colleagues) and obtain sworn statements from medical staff or shelter staff.

• Use available Delhi NGOs as Service Providers for counselling & rehabilitation — courts often appreciate evidence of the aggrieved person’s attempts to seek support.

• For child custody issues, involve child welfare experts and seek guardian ad litem if necessary; ensure the child’s best interests are front and centre.

10) Court hearings, arguments & submissions

• Frame your case as both safety-and-remedial: prove domestic relationship, show the pattern of abusive conduct, link facts to the statutory definitions of domestic violence (physical, sexual, emotional, economic).

• For each relief sought, present targeted evidence: e.g., residence order — proof of shared household, threats/eviction attempts; monetary relief — respondent’s income/expenses; protection order — incidents showing threat/assault.

• Use Protection Officer’s report and police reports to strengthen your case. Emphasize child welfare in custody matters.

11) Enforcement & contempt

• PWDVA orders are enforceable — if respondent disobeys (e.g., denies access to residence, withholds maintenance), move contempt or execution proceedings before the same Magistrate.

• For unpaid maintenance orders, use CrPC execution mechanisms and summoning the respondent; civil remedies (attachment of property) are available under CPC/CrPC.

• If police fail to act on protection orders, approach court for enforcement and direction to police/PWDVA officer.

12) Compensation & rehabilitation

• PWDVA allows for compensation/expenses for loss, medical costs, loss of earnings and legal expenses — plead specifically with supporting bills.

• Seek direction for respondent to deposit security (in severe cases) and for the State (or Service Provider) to provide shelter/counselling if needed.

13) Appeals, review & concurrent remedies

• If order is adverse, appeal within the statutory period to Sessions Court / High Court as per procedural law.

• Maintain and coordinate parallel remedies: PWDVA (civil), CrPC 125 (maintenance), and criminal cases (IPC, Dowry Act) as facts warrant. Counsel client on pros/cons and timelines of each.

14) Documentation & client aftercare

• Keep an accessible chronology and indexed bundle of documents, produce a copy for the Protection Officer and court.

• Guide client about interactions with respondent (no direct contact where orders exist), safe-housing options, and changes to bank mandates or utilities.

• Update client on enforcement steps and long-term planning (custody, maintenance enforcement, divorce if desired).