Domestic Violence Attorney: Protecting Your Rights

If you need a domestic violence attorney, experiencing a variety of emotions is completely normal. This situation may come as a shock to you or you have been enduring these situations for an extended amount of time. In either case, there is no reason to live under these conditions. With legal assistance, you can protect yourself and make an attempt to get a fresh start, apart from this sort of trauma.

Laws Vary From State to State

It might be hard to believe but victims are offered different rights and different forms of protection depending on what state they live in. Local representation by a domestic violence attorney can help. Your lawyer will know exactly what laws apply to your specific situation and he or she can advise you of the extend of your rights. If a legal firm in your area offers a free consultation, take advantage of this opportunity. You can learn a lot from just one meeting and once completed, you can make a decision on whether or not to continue pursuing a case.

Criminal vs. Civil Laws

When you are the victim of abuse, you may not know where to turn for assistance. Some suggest that you should contact the police. In most cases, they begin to take action and completely take over the case. This means that they make the decision on whether or not to prosecute and what consequence the abuser will face. For some, this is enough to solve the problem.

Even if you do contact the police, you can still benefit from retaining the services of a domestic violence attorney. You have the opportunity to file a petition requesting a civil order of protection. (The need to contact the police before choosing this option varies from state to state.) Once the protective order is in place, the police must enforce it. This means that when the abuser comes into contact with you, call the police and allow them to handle it. At this point, you can choose to pursue criminal charges for violating the order of protection or you can set up a contempt charge.

Unfortunately, so many victims of abuse don't believe they have any options. Some see the situation as just a fact of life. Others see no hope for themselves in the future. With they help of a domestic violence attorney, it is possible to take action and take control of the situation. Using the legal statutes put into place to protect individuals, a person can pursue the case until it reaches a favorable outcome.

All information provided to a domestic violence attorney is confidential. Clients have the ability to open up about their situation without any type of worry or anxiety about what will happen next. Just one phone call could give you or someone you know a chance at a better life.