Box office hit, Obsession, has now become the highest grossing horror movie of 2026.
The film tells the story of two young people whose mutual but unspoken attraction escalates rapidly into fatal infatuation. Predictably, my thoughts drifted less to the romance and more to the legal remedies that might have been available to the film’s femme fatale when a curse was laid upon her, and she subsequently embarked on a murderous rampage in the name of love.
Setting the theatrics aside, the underlying issue is a serious one: what protection can the Family Courts offer if a former partner embarks on a campaign of harassment?
The Family Law Act 1996 provides for injunctive relief in various forms, whether it be that someone is prevented from contacting you directly or indirectly by way of a non-molestation order, or even going as far as an occupation order which removes someone from the home in which they reside with you. Such steps are drastic and a threshold of imminent harm does need to met in order to qualify a Court approving of these protective measures but it is important to be aware that protection is available to you. The protection doesn’t just cover ex boyfriends or girlfriends, but any associated person, which includes your current or former husband, wife or civil partner, fiancé, fiancée or proposed civil partner, or close family members i.e. parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, and children.
Whilst criminal proceedings are also an option, one of the most significant distinctions between how matters are dealt with in the Family Law arena is that the burden of proof is on a balance of probabilities as opposed to beyond any reasonable doubt; that means that if you have been and are at risk of harm from someone close to you and a Family Judge is looking at your case, they can make findings based on what they consider more likely than not to have occurred, which can make protective remedies more accessible in appropriate cases.
Our Family Law experts at McAlister are available to talk you through any concerns you have if you find yourself the victim of harassment or molestation and can advise on the options available. You can contact us at [email protected].
