There has been a 55% increase in the number of safety orders being sought from District Courts in the eight years to 2014.

Court orders barring individuals from the family home have dropped by 38% during that time.

Barring orders require a person to leave their home - staying away from both the person applying for the order and any dependent children.

While safety orders prevent a person from violence or threats of violence without having to leave the family home.

Margaret Martin is the director of Women's Aid.

She says there has been shift to safety orders in recent years.

"We're not actually surprised at the increase in the safety orders...because up to 2011 they were not available to couples who did not live together that had a child in common and to same-sex couples" she told Newstalk Breakfast.

"So then in August 2011 that extension came into effect - so there's more people eligible for just safety orders, because they weren't living with their partner" she added.