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How to Choose the Right Team For Your Domestic Violence Claim

Cases about domestic violence are delicate situations because it goes beyond simply providing legal services to survivors. The trauma it gives survivors will haunt them for a long time, so there is a need for solutions to separate them from their abusers permanently. One of these solutions is filing a domestic violence claim.

Why file a domestic violence claim?

Filing a domestic violence claim is one way to address the situation proactively. Doing so will have the abuse reflected in court records, so if it happens again, there will be serious consequences for the abuser.  Filing criminal charges will also help in situations where you want to get custody of your child or get emergency public housing.

However, there are a lot of victims that refrain from pressing criminal charges because they think the court can’t do anything to help them. It’s true that some courts don’t always send a person to jail for the first recorded offense. Some may be scared to do so in fear of the abuser hurting them more once they find out. 

Who do I talk to about domestic violence claims?

If you decide to file a domestic violence claim, there should always be a safety plan.

You need a reputable lawyer from www.steinandmarkuslaw.com to help you get through the process without fearing for your safety. The best legal help you can get is one that specializes in domestic violence laws and cases.

A lawyer will know how to help you gather evidence, recount your experience, file a claim in court, and represent you in the proceedings.

Even with options to settle the case outside court, your attorney will still be able to speak on your behalf in negotiation proceedings with the other party

Here are some other people you can talk to:

Advocates against domestic violence

Advocate groups and shelters for abused women make it a mission to provide a safe and supportive environment for survivors of domestic violence.

Advocate groups file petitions, do information and awareness drives, lobby for provisions regarding domestic violence programs, and serve as checks and balances at the local and national legislation level. 

These groups also have a repository of resources such as counseling and legal help to help you re-examine your situation and move forward with a case. The overall system links victims with appropriate safe supports, serving as a hotline to help survivors with needs such as emergency rooms, homeless shelters, or police intervention.

Domestic violence counseling

Some organizations and support centers provide free counseling for domestic abuse survivors.

The trained and licensed professionals provide confidential one-on-one counseling to give survivors an opportunity to work through their trauma and begin their healing process.

Therapists that specialize in helping survivors of abuse will help them re-assess their relationship with their abuser. Violence and abuse can be inflicted in many ways, and it’s through being aware of the different ways it can occur can they begin to seek justice.

How do I choose the right team for my domestic violence claim?

The reason why people are sometimes hesitant about filing charges is that they’re unsure of how much help they can truly get, especially with legal services. Here are things to keep in mind to know which services can help you the most.

Refraining from judgment

No one knows their abuser better than their victim. Survivors don’t need judgment from people that are supposed to help them, so once you feel unsafe in that environment, trust your instincts and turn their offers down. You know your experience, and no one has the right to invalidate your trauma.

Understanding

As helpful as it may be, filing a domestic violence claim can take a toll on your mental, emotional and financial situation. If you feel like you’re not ready to press charges yet, you need counselors and peers that will understand and still offer support while waiting for you to be ready.

Patience

Seeking support is not the end-all be-all of domestic violence claims. Most people come back because survivors have countless reasons why they hesitate about leaving an abusive situation for good. Support services need to understand the complications involved and thus have patience for returning clients. 

Takeaway

Domestic violence claims are cases that need careful handling.

Support services should recognize the mental state it can put survivors in and thus harness everything in their power to help them seek justice. Your legal team, for example, should be relentless in pursuing your case. 

However, some cases need more analysis from the other side as well. Some domestic violence claims can be placed on the wrong person.

If you find yourself on the other side of the claim being wrongfully charged, team up with reliable lawyers to come up with an impenetrable defense.

Jeff Campbell