When Oranga Tamariki apply for care or Protection Orders, they’ll usually ask you if you agree to the judge making the orders. This can be a hard decision to make, so get advice from a lawyer on this.
When you oppose the application for care or Protection Orders, this is called “defending” the application. The main document you have to file in the Family Court is therefore called a “Notice of defence”. Get help from a lawyer if you want to defend the application. If you can’t afford a lawyer yourself, you’ll be able to get one on Legal Aid – phone 0800 2 Legal Aid (0800 253 425).