How Does a Divorce Attorney Help Victims of Domestic Violence?

If you are a victim of domestic violence, you should talk with a Santa Ana divorce attorney as soon as possible. Divorce is often the best way to put an end to the abuse and to move on with your life in a healthy way. However, you need to make sure you understand the protections that are available to you as you end your marriage or as you deal with the abusive behavior against you. 

Brown & Charbonneau, LLP can provide assistance to domestic abuse victims. We help you to understand the protections that California law provides to you and your children so you can try to stay safe from the abuse that you are experiencing.

We can also help you to end your marriage permanently so you are no longer left living with an abusive partner. Give us a call today to talk with a Santa Ana divorce attorney to find out about how we help domestic violence victims.

Divorce and Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is, unfortunately, very common. The American Bar Association indicates that around one on four women have been raped or physically assaulted by a current or former romantic partner or dating partner. Men can also be victims of domestic violence as well. More than a million women and more than 835,000 men experience physical assault at the hands of a family member each year in the United States. If you are a victim, you are not alone.

Domestic violence is also likely to continue once it has begun. On study reported on by the American Bar Association indicated 41 percent of men who had assaulted a romantic partner committed a repeat assault within 30 months of the initial incident. Both men and women can be physically and mentally damaged by domestic violence, and both male and female abusers will tend to continue the destructive and violent behavior after it has started.

Because of the risk of continued abuse, it is important for anyone who is being victimized to get the appropriate legal help. Ending the relationship permanently and taking advantage of resources that are available to protect you can be essential to staying safe in the future.

How Santa Ana Divorce Attorney Can Help Victims of Domestic Violence

Victims of domestic violence need to understand the legal services that are available to protect them, and need to get the proper legal help so they can stay safe. An experienced Santa Ana divorce attorney provides invaluable assistance with different aspects of dealing with domestic violence. For example:

• An attorney can provide you with help getting a protective order or restraining order. A court can order the abuser to stay away from you, and even to stay away from your children, your family members, and your pets. Your lawyer can help you with the court process of seeking this protective order, as well as assist you in notifying the proper authorities if your abuser is violating the court rules.
• An attorney can help you to prove the domestic violence is occurring. This can be important when seeking a protective order, but also very important during a custody dispute. If abuse is happening and you don’t want your child around it, you need to be able to convince the court that your ex presents a credible threat.
• An attorney can assist you throughout the divorce process. Divorce is often more complicated in situations where domestic violence is an issue. While normally mediation would be a viable and less expensive solution for divorcing couples, mediation may not be a good option in abuse situations because it requires cooperation among spouses. You may not want to collaborate with your abusive ex. Your lawyer can try to deal with your ex and his or her lawyer to reach a negotiated settlement out of court, without you having a lot of interaction with your abuser. If mediation is not possible at all because of the abuse, your lawyer can help you to litigate the issues in your divorce to end up with a settlement, support arrangement, and child custody arrangement that works for you.

To find out more about these and other services that an attorney can provide to domestic violence victims, it is a good idea to talk with a Santa Ana divorce attorney about your situation.

Getting Help from a Santa Ana Divorce Attorney

If you are the victim of domestic violence, now is the time to act. Contact a Santa Ana divorce attorney to find out what options you have for ending your marriage and for seeking protection from the abuse. Brown & Charbonneau, LLP will offer you advice on how to protect yourself and your kids using all legal tools available under California law. Give us a call at (866)237-8129 or contact us online to learn more.