Lisa’s Law were recently instructed by a client who held leave in the UK as a spouse, originally valid until mid-2027. During the early stages of the relationship, there were indicators of controlling behaviour, including monitoring of personal accounts and verbal hostility.
From late 2024 onwards, the conduct escalated significantly. The client experienced a sustained pattern of coercive control, psychological and emotional abuse, intimidation, digital interference, monitoring, harassment, and repeated threats linked to her immigration status.
As the situation deteriorated, the client permanently left the marital home in April 2025. She subsequently engaged multiple support channels, including the police, medical professionals, specialist domestic abuse organisations, and legal protection measures through the family court.
Divorce proceedings were initiated by the partner later in 2025, prompting the Home Office to curtail the client’s spouse visa, significantly shortening her period of leave.
Written by Angel Wan, Solicitor
Our client instructs Lisa’s Law
We were instructed to prepare an application for Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) under Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse, on the basis that the relationship had permanently broken down due to domestic abuse. The client also required a fee waiver due to financial hardship and inability to meet essential living needs.
At the outset, we advised that prospects of success were moderate. The client was unable to provide conclusive evidence typically referenced in policy guidance, and her financial profile, including numerous bank accounts, was likely to attract scrutiny.
Legal Framework
Settlement under Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse requires applicants within the UK to demonstrate that:
- they currently hold, or were last granted leave as a partner under the relevant provisions, e.g. as the partner of a British citizen or settled person under Appendix FM;
- the relationship has permanently broken down; and
- the breakdown occurred as a result of domestic abuse.
Decision-makers assess applications on the balance of probabilities and must consider the statutory definition of domestic abuse, which encompasses not only physical violence but also psychological, emotional, financial, coercive, and controlling behaviour, etc.
The Home Office also recognises the particular vulnerability of migrant victims, including the use of immigration status as a mechanism of control, barriers to accessing public funds, and heightened risk of destitution upon leaving an abusive relationship.
Applicants seeking a fee waiver must demonstrate that they are destitute or unable to meet essential living needs if required to pay the application fee.
Our involvement (what we did)
Our role involved comprehensive case preparation and structured evidential presentation, including:
- analysing the chronology of the relationship and identifying legally relevant patterns of behaviour consistent with coercive and controlling conduct;
- compiling and organising multi-source evidence, including medical records, professional assessments, witness statements, communications, and safeguarding documentation;
- preparing detailed legal representations addressing both the Immigration Rules and relevant policy guidance;
- demonstrating the causal link between the abuse and the permanent breakdown of the relationship;
- presenting financial evidence to establish destitution and justify a fee waiver; and
- addressing potential credibility concerns arising from the client’s financial arrangements and evidential limitations.
Particular emphasis was placed on evidencing the cumulative and escalating nature of the abuse, the psychological impact on the client, and the protective purpose of the domestic abuse settlement provisions.
Outcome
The application was granted just under three months after submission.
The decision was made without any request for further evidence from the Home Office. The client was granted Indefinite Leave to Remain together with a fee waiver.
Conclusion
The outcome of this domestic abuse case illustrates several important features of the domestic abuse settlement route:
- Domestic abuse provisions are designed to be protective in nature and recognise a wide spectrum of abusive conduct beyond physical violence;
- Decision-makers must consider the totality of the evidence and the broader context of coercion, vulnerability, and immigration-related control;
- Strongly structured legal representations and coherent evidential presentation can be decisive, particularly where evidence is fragmented or non-traditional;
- Financial hardship and destitution must be clearly evidenced but can be successfully established even in complex financial circumstances.
From our standpoint, this case demonstrates the importance of careful legal framing, trauma-informed case preparation, and strategic evidential analysis in applications under Appendix Victim of Domestic Abuse.
It also reflects the underlying policy intention: to ensure that individuals are not forced to remain in abusive relationships due to immigration dependency or financial barriers to regularising their status.
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