We are unfortunately limited in dealing with domestic abuse unless you are ready to move forward with some type of family law matter. We certainly can help you get a protection order. We can do that, regardless. You don’t have to have a family law matter to get a protection order. We can help you with that. We can’t really do anything long term without some sort of family law matter accompanying it.
For instance, a divorce. If you are filing for divorce and there is a domestic abuse issue, then that domestic abuse issue is going to get handled inside your divorce action? There may be a protection order as part of the divorce action, but then all the protections that need to go in place in terms of child custody, in terms of decision making around the children, domestic abuse will come into play. For instance, you typically have joint decision making about the children in a divorce. However, if there’s a domestic abuse situation, There are laws in place that say that you’re not going to have joint decision making in domestic abuse because one party has way too much power over the other party in a domestic abuse situation. You might have sole decision making about issues regarding the children.
I think it is important, if you do have a domestic abuse situation, to come in and do a strategy meeting and look at do we want to just get a protection order for you, which we can do with nothing else. Or do you need to think about a divorce, or do you need to think about an allocation of parental responsibilities. If you’re not married, and there are children involved, to deal effectively with the larger picture than just that particular domestic abuse that has just occurred. I think it’s wise to look at that, as we call it, a 360 degree look at your domestic abuse situation to see whether or not you need to file something other than a protection order in that situation.
