Domestic Violence
Domestic violence could never happen to me! Domestic violence crosses all socioeconomic boundaries--anyone can be a victim. Even if you are not being physically injured, you may still be a victim and need protection. Also, violence tends to escalate, so what starts as psychological harm can eventually lead to physical harm.
What if my partner and I are just yelling at each other a lot? Domestic violence can greatly affect your children. And if there is violence in your household where police have to be called, DCS will likely enter the picture to investigate and then you can risk losing custody of your children. It is therefore crucial to take steps to end the violence, and that may mean making some major changes in your life.
But I have children with this person---wouldn't it be better for me to keep the relationship together for the sake of the children?
There are lots of reasons that people stay in abusive relationships, including guilt and fear and the belief that it is better for the children to stay in the relationship or that there is nowhere to go. This is not true. It would be better for your children if you came up with a plan to get out of your current situation. It takes a lot of guts to take action.
What are some indicators that I might be a victim of domestic violence? According to the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults organization in Chattanooga, TN, these are the top 10 signs of domestic violence:
Does your partner...
What if my partner and I are just yelling at each other a lot? Domestic violence can greatly affect your children. And if there is violence in your household where police have to be called, DCS will likely enter the picture to investigate and then you can risk losing custody of your children. It is therefore crucial to take steps to end the violence, and that may mean making some major changes in your life.
But I have children with this person---wouldn't it be better for me to keep the relationship together for the sake of the children?
There are lots of reasons that people stay in abusive relationships, including guilt and fear and the belief that it is better for the children to stay in the relationship or that there is nowhere to go. This is not true. It would be better for your children if you came up with a plan to get out of your current situation. It takes a lot of guts to take action.
What are some indicators that I might be a victim of domestic violence? According to the Partnership for Families, Children and Adults organization in Chattanooga, TN, these are the top 10 signs of domestic violence:
Does your partner...
- Make you feel worthless?
- Hurt you physically?
- Isolate you from loved ones?
- Control your access to money?
- Accuse you of cheating?
- Intimidate /threaten you or your loved ones?
- Pressure you into unwanted sex?
- Threaten to hurt themselves if they don't get what they want?
- Control what you do and who you see?
- Call/Text you constantly or follow you?
If I decide that I am a victim of domestic violence, how can you help me? If you feel that you are the victim of domestic violence or if any of these issues come up during an intake, we can talk about your options. One of these options may be to go to Circuit Court to get an Order of Protection do keep your partner away from you. There are also a lot of resources in the community to help and I can help refer you to those.
Orders of Protection
If someone commits domestic violence against you, you may want to get an order of protection. You can file a petition yourself at Hamilton County Circuit Court. In this petition, you will want to make very specific allegations to show that you are at imminent risk of harm. You may then be able to get an ex parte order of protection signed by the Judge. Your abuser will be sent a copy of the petition and order and a full hearing is usually set within 15 days of the ex parte order.
At the hearing, you only have to prove your allegations by a preponderance of the evidence, but the alleged abuser also has a right to present evidence for the Judge to be able to make a fully informed decision.
If you have an order of protection filed against you, you would be wise to hire an attorney to help you because if you lose the hearing, the Judge has a wide variety of options that may affect you, especially if you and your accuser have children together. Orders of protection are very serious matters.
At the hearing, you only have to prove your allegations by a preponderance of the evidence, but the alleged abuser also has a right to present evidence for the Judge to be able to make a fully informed decision.
If you have an order of protection filed against you, you would be wise to hire an attorney to help you because if you lose the hearing, the Judge has a wide variety of options that may affect you, especially if you and your accuser have children together. Orders of protection are very serious matters.
This website has been designed for informational purposes only. In no way should this information be interpreted as giving out legal advice. If you need legal advice, you need to consult with an attorney in person. No attorney-client relationship is formed by any use of the information provided herein.
