What are the 7 steps to best protect yourself from domestic violence or an abusive husband or wife in Louisville or Jefferson County?
- 1. The first step to best protect yourself from domestic violence is to collect resources such as money, check books, credit cards, cell phone, laptop, and friends willing to help you.
- 2. If you have children with a violent partner child custody is an important issue. You should meet with one of our Experienced divorce and family law attorneys to get sound advice about how domestic violence affects Louisville and Jefferson County child custody and parenting time cases.
- 3. If you must allow a violent spouse or parent to have visitation with your children, talk to our attorneys about seeking supervised visitation in order to protect your children. It is also possible to seek orders from the Court requiring a violent parent to attend anger management classes, as well orders which prevent drinking and the use of drugs around the children.
- 4. Another important step to best protect yourself from domestic violence is to locate and preserve important documents. This includes copies of pay stubs, deeds, insurance policies, credit card statements, and any proof of the domestic violence you have suffered. Important proof would include police reports, photos of any injuries caused by the domestic violence, and medical records with supporting documentation. Keep a detailed journal of when and what domestic violence occurred, and ensure that your journals is not accessible by the violent party.
- 5. Make sure that a violent spouse or partner cannot prevent you from fleeing. Always have an extra set of car keys, ride-share fare, or friends available to pick you up on a moments notice.
- 6. Obtain immediate temporary domestic violence restraining orders either prior to leaving or immediately thereafter. Speak to our experienced divorce and family law attorneys to ensure that you do everything in your power to maximize your likelihood obtaining your temporary domestic violence restraining order. In many cases, a domestic violence perpetrator may attempt to use your failure to act quickly against you, essentially arguing that since you did not seek a temporary domestic violence restraining order immediately, so you obviously weren’t actually afraid. Take immediate action.
- 7. The final step to best protect yourself from domestic violence or an abusive husband or wife in Louisville or Jefferson County is simple: Once you get away, stay safe. Don’t give out your new address. If you are going to stay in your home (and the violent spouse or partner is to be removed) change the locks and ensure there are deadbolts on every entry door. Have an alarm installed, change your daily habits, and try to have someone stay with you.
The family law attorneys at Dodd & Dodd care about the safety of all people and children here in Louisville and Jefferson County. This short list just touches on the 7 steps to best protect yourself from domestic violence. However, you need to know much more. If you are a victim of domestic violence we invite you to review the strong recommendations of our former clients and contact us or call 502-584-1108 to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced experienced divorce and family law attorneys.
Take action right now to obtain comprehensive advice on how to best protect yourself and your children from Domestic Violence.
