Yes — and in many situations, combining both proceedings is not just permissible but strategically sound, because the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 and the divorce petition before the Vadodara Family Court are independent proceedings that can run simultaneously and often reinforce each other in important ways.

The PWDVA defines "domestic violence" broadly to include physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal and emotional abuse, economic abuse (including withholding maintenance, controlling financial access, and retaining streedhan), and harassment. A Domestic Incident Report is filed with the Protection Officer for Vadodara, after which the court can grant on an urgent interim basis: a Protection Order preventing the abuser from contacting or approaching you; a Residence Order securing your right to the shared household or requiring alternative accommodation; a Custody Order for your children; and Monetary Relief covering maintenance, medical expenses, and compensation for harm suffered. The Vadodara Magistrate can, and regularly does, pass ex-parte Protection Orders on the same day of filing where the situation warrants immediate intervention.

The interaction with your divorce proceedings is important to understand. The same acts of violence, cruelty, or economic abuse that support a Protection Order under the PWDVA also constitute mental or physical cruelty — a ground for divorce under Section 13(1)(ia) of the Hindu Marriage Act. A Protection Order, once passed by the Vadodara Magistrate, becomes evidence of the conduct you have alleged in your divorce petition before the Family Court. Interim maintenance under the PWDVA can run alongside interim maintenance under Section 24 of the Hindu Marriage Act, and alongside maintenance under Section 144 BNSS before the Magistrate — three parallel streams of financial support during the proceedings. The family law and domestic violence specialists at the Vadodara panel of Aapka Legal Advice can coordinate both proceedings so every filing reinforces the others.