(1) The court, at any stage of the proceedings under this Act, may direct the respondent or as the case may be, aggrieved person to undergo mandatory counseling with an appropriate service provider.
(2) Where the court has issued any direction under sub- section (1), it shall fix the next date of hearing of the case within a period not exceeding thirty days.

(a) inform the aggrieved person of her or his rights provided under this Act or any other law for the time being in force and the remedies and the help that may be provided;

(b) assist the aggrieved person in obtaining any medical treatment necessitated due to the domestic violence;

(c) if necessary, and with the consent of the aggrieved person, assist the aggrieved person in relocating to a safer place acceptable to the aggrieved person, which may include the house of any relative or family friend or other safe place or if any, established by a service provider;

(d) assist the aggrieved person in the preparation of and filing of any petition or report under this Act, the Code or any other law for the time being in force;

(e) keep official record of the incidents of domestic violence in its area of jurisdiction, whether on the basis of information received or suo moto inquiry, irrespective of whether or not action is taken under this Act. Such record shall include –
    (i) the first information received about the incident of domestic violence;
    (ii) the assistance, if any, offered or provided by the Protection Committee to the aggrieved person;
    (iii) where applicable, the reason for not taking action under this Act when an incident was brought to the notice of the Protection Committee;
    (iv) where applicable, the reason for the aggrieved person’s refusal to take assistance from the Protection Committee;
    (v) the names and contact details of the service provider, if any, from whom the aggrieved person sought help;
    (vi) maintenance of the record of applications, protection orders and the service providers operating in the area of jurisdiction; and
    (vii) perform any other duties that may be assigned to the Protection Committee under this Act or the rules made thereunder.

It shall be the duty of the Protection Officer –
(a) to make a domestic incident report to the Protection Committee, in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed, upon receipt of a complaint of domestic violence and forward copies thereof to the Protection Committee within the local limits of whose jurisdiction domestic violence is alleged to have been committed and to the service providers in that area;
(b) to make an application in such form and in such manner as may be prescribed to the court, if the aggrieved person so desires, claiming relief for issuance of a protection order;
(c) to ensure that the aggrieved person is provided legal aid;
(d) to maintain a list of all service providers providing legal aid or counseling, shelter homes and medical facilities in a local area within the jurisdiction of the court;
(e) to make available a safe place of residence, if the aggrieved person so requires and forward a copy of his report of having lodged;
(f) to get the aggrieved person medically examined, if he or she has sustained bodily injuries and forward a copy of the medical report to the Protection Committee having jurisdiction in the area where the domestic violence is alleged to have been taken place;
(g) to ensure that the order for monetary relief under section 12 is complied with and executed in accordance with the procedure prescribed; and
(h) to perform such other duties as may be prescribed.

A service provider shall have the power to –
(a) record the domestic incident in a prescribed form if the aggrieved person so desires, and forward a copy thereof to the Protection Officer having jurisdiction in the area where the domestic violence took place;
(b) get the aggrieved person medically examined and forward a copy of the medical report to the Protection Officer within the local limits of which the domestic violence took place;
(c) ensure that the aggrieved person is provided shelter in a safe place of residence, if he or she so requires, and forward a report of the lodging of the aggrieved person in a safe place of residence to the Protection Committee within the local limits of the place where the domestic violence took place; and
(d) provide the aggrieved person with any aid or assistance if he or she may so require.