Domestic Violence: Legal Resources
on Sep 16 in ALA, Avenging, Feminism, Librarianship, Links, Research Obsession, Women's health by Erica FirmentA 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.
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You don’t say where she is, this may be a start: http://www.4woman.gov/violence/state/. There’s a toll-free hotline.
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.
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.
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.