01Who can apply under the Domestic Violence Act
An application under the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005 is filed before the Magistrate's Court and can secure a protection order under Section 18, a residence order under Section 19, monetary relief under Section 20, custody under Section 21 and compensation under Section 22. Interim orders are frequently granted within the first few hearings.
Two misconceptions cost applicants time. The first is that you must file for divorce to be protected — you do not; the Act stands entirely on its own. The second is that you must leave home to be safe. The Act was written precisely so that the person facing violence is not the person who has to go, and a residence order can secure your right to remain.
Protection orders
Section 18 orders restraining further violence, contact, or entry to your workplace or the children's school.
How it worksResidence orders
Section 19 orders securing your right to remain in the shared household, or requiring alternative accommodation to be provided.
How it worksMonetary relief
Section 20 relief covering maintenance, medical expenses and loss of earnings, independent of any matrimonial proceeding.
How it worksCustody & compensation
Interim custody of children under Section 21 and compensation for injury and distress under Section 22.
How it works02How a DV Act application proceeds in Pune
A DV Act application in Pune typically proceeds as follows:
Confidential consultation
What has happened, what you need most urgently, and whether the immediate priority is safety, residence or money. Often it is all three, in that order.
Day 1Application & interim relief
The application is filed before the Magistrate with an application for interim protection and residence, so relief does not wait for the full hearing.
3 days–2 weeksNotice & interim orders
Notice issues to the respondent. Interim protection and residence orders are commonly passed at this stage, along with interim monetary relief.
2 weeks–2 monthsEvidence & final order
Evidence is led and the matter argued to final orders, which can be varied later if circumstances change.
Case-dependent03Documents that support a DV application
What helps a DV application
- Proof of the domestic relationship — marriage certificate, shared address proof
- Medical records of any injury, however minor it seemed at the time
- Photographs, messages, call records and emails
- Police complaints or NC entries, if any were made
- Names and contact details of witnesses, including neighbours
- Details of the respondent's income and assets, for monetary relief
- Children's documents, where custody is sought
04How quickly protection can be obtained
Interim protection and residence orders are realistically obtained within two weeks to two months of filing at the Magistrate's Court in Pune, and urgent matters can move faster. Final orders commonly take one to two years. The Act is designed so that the practical relief — safety, a roof, money — arrives at the start rather than the end, and that is how we run these matters.
05Common mistakes in domestic violence cases
- Deleting messages and photographsRecords of what happened are the case. Preserve everything, including material you find embarrassing, and let your advocate decide what is relevant.
- Leaving the shared household without adviceIt can complicate a residence order and is sometimes used to argue there was nothing to be protected from. Take advice first where it is safe to do so.
- Waiting for the situation to improveDelay is invariably raised against an applicant. A contemporaneous record — even an NC entry — is worth more than a detailed account given two years later.
- Assuming a DV order and a criminal case are the same thingThey are separate, and pursuing one does not preclude the other. Confusing them leads people to file the wrong proceeding in the wrong forum.
06Domestic violence lawyer fees in Pune
Every engagement begins with a written understanding of the fee structure — consultation, drafting, appearances — before any work starts. We will tell you plainly at the first meeting what your matter involves, and you will never see a charge we did not explain.
What happens at your first consultation
- You talk, we listen. Bring whatever papers you have, organised or not. There is no form to fill and nothing to prepare.
- We tell you where you stand — including the weaknesses in your position. An advocate who only tells you good news is not advising you.
- You get options, not pressure. Sometimes the honest answer is that you do not need to file anything yet.
- Fees in writing before any work begins, so no invoice ever surprises you.
Everything you say is privileged, whether or not you engage the firm. Consultations are held in Marathi, Hindi or English — in person at Kasba Peth, or over video.
Adv. Indrajit Dongre
Leads this practice, appearing before Pune's courts since 1998. Assisted by Adv. Rasika Kushte and Adv. Amruta Rasal.