Domestic Violence: Legal Resources
A friend is going through this. She needs legal advice and low-income resources.
Here’s the best of what I’ve found:
- WomensLaw.org – Incredibly clear and useful site with an excellent FAQ, state-by-state help, info on shelters, courthouse locations, legal forms, advice.
- Battered Women’s Justice Project – Contact list for state Domestic Violence coalitions – These groups can provide individual *advocates* who are familiar with state laws and resources.
- American Bar Association’s Commission on Domestic Violence pdf guide to attaining a lawyer
I’ve been finding a lot of links-to-lists-of-links. If you know of any *easy to use* resources that would help a mother with no money avoid a murderous creep, please comment, and thank you.
September 16th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
You don’t say where she is, this may be a start: http://www.4woman.gov/violence/state/. There’s a toll-free hotline.
September 16th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
Call her county human services/social services/family independence agency. They should have a contact for prevention/protective services. They will have a wealth of resources for her, and usually have a 24 hr contact number.
September 18th, 2008 at 2:27 pm
I’m writing in from Canada, so can’t offer too much in the way of good resources, but here’s some advice:
Caution her to avoid doing this kind of web searching at home – go to a library – unless she has a browser that allows for “Personal Browsing”, or some kind of sessional history obliteration, that doesn’t suspiciously erase everything in the computer’s history. It could, literally, save her life.
September 18th, 2008 at 5:04 pm
I was given this link from a friend.
The best thing to do is contact a local service provider (the police have the list of area resources) and talk with them. They usually have access to legal aid, etc.
Thanks for caring enough to get involved.