Can I change the locks?

Changing the locks is usually legal. Keeping out a partner who has a legal right to live in the home is not, unless a court has said so. Those are two different acts. Whose name is on the paperwork, whether you are married, and whether you are frightened each change the answer.

If they have a right to be there

A joint owner or joint tenant has the same right to enter and live in the home as you do. So does a spouse or civil partner, whoever owns it: in England and Wales through home rights, in Scotland through occupancy rights under the Matrimonial Homes (Family Protection) (Scotland) Act 1981. Changing the locks to shut out someone in any of those positions is not a crime in itself, but they are entitled to get back in, a court can order you to let them, and a judge deciding your finances or children's arrangements later may take a dim view. In a rented home, most tenancies also require the landlord's consent.

The only lawful way to exclude a partner with a right to be there is a court order: an occupation order in England and Wales, an exclusion order in Scotland. Where there is abuse, those can be made within days, sometimes without your partner being told first, with a power of arrest, so the locks are backed by the police rather than by you.

If they have no legal right to be there

If the home is in your sole name, you are not married, and your partner is not on the tenancy, they are usually living there as a licensee. They cannot be put out on the spot, but they can be asked to leave with reasonable notice, and once the notice has run you can change the locks. A short written notice with a date is better than a surprise. If they refuse to go, a court order is the route, not force. Their belongings remain theirs: keep them safe and hand them over through a third party if contact is unsafe.

If you are frightened

Then the legal question comes second. A partner who finds the locks changed often reacts in the hours that follow, and the people who assess risk treat the period around separation as the most dangerous. Change the locks as part of a plan: who knows, where you go if they turn up, whether an order is in place, whether the neighbours or the school have been told. Call 999 if they arrive and you are afraid, whatever the paperwork says.

If you are the one locked out, and your partner did it because they are afraid of you, forcing your way back in will make everything worse. The Respect Phoneline (0808 8024 040, weekdays, free) is for people in that position who want to deal with it differently.

What this might mean for you

A changed lock is a line you have drawn in the physical world. It helps to know what stands behind it. The free module Leaving safely helps you build the rest of the plan privately, and Staying safer while you decide is for the stretch before any of this, when you are still in the house with them. Is this danger? asks the risk questions services use.

This is general information, not legal advice. A family solicitor, Shelter or Citizens Advice can tell you where you stand. To talk to someone now: National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247 (24 hours), Men's Advice Line 0808 801 0327, Galop 0800 999 5428. In an emergency, 999, and press 55 if you cannot speak. Pressing Escape twice leaves this site at once.