Choosing a Good Attorney for a Domestic Abuse Victim – by Morven Baker
[February 23, 2023: There have been some changes made to this post. For more information, read the Editors’ notes at the bottom of the post. Editors.]
Morven Baker, one of our friends and readers is a therapist. She made this comment to help Lisa, but her words bear more visibility so everyone sees them. Listen and learn:
Lisa, as a therapist who works with women who are trying to leave domestic abuse situations, I know that there are lawyers who will minimize your situation and virtually throw you to the wolves when you need to be defended and protected by them in the court room. Many of these are men who are controlling or abusive in their own homes, just as are some of the police handing the DV calls or the judges who preside over the whole production. Please do not settle for your present lawyer if he criticizes you or minimizes the abuse. Call the legal ethics board and find the names of lawyers who are known for their defense against Domestic Violence. Your local shelter may also have some good resources for supportive lawyers. Some of the best are female lawyers. God will find a legal ally for you….don’t stop ’til you find him / her. That is their job, to protect you and your children.
Thanks, Morven.
[February 23, 2023: Editors’ notes:
—For some comments made prior to February 23, 2023 that quoted from the post, the text in the comment that was quoted from the post might no longer be an exact match.
—For some comments made prior to February 23, 2023 that quoted from the post, the text in the comment that was quoted from the post might no longer be found in the post.
If you would like to compare the text in the comments made prior to February 23, 2023 that quoted from the post to the post as it is now (February 23, 2023), click here [Internet Archive link] for the most recent Internet Archive copy of the post.]
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- Posted in: Supporting victims
- Tagged: guest post, protecting victims
A Cry For Justice 
Morven is correct! Don’t stop trying until you find a good one!!
Lisa, this is part of my answer to your previous post [comment], and I wanted to repeat it here, because I can’t overstate the importance of hiring the right attorney for your case. This is so important. The decisions made will last you the rest of your life. I’ve stressed this over again to other people who help abused women.
Morven is right….there are lawyers who will actually minimize your situation. I know, because my previous lawyer did this very thing. Not only that….I felt that even though I was paying him, he was on my husband’s side. I felt abused all over again, even though I was separated from my husband. That’s how bad it was. I told my counsellor that I’d rather cut off my right foot than recommend my old lawyer to an abused woman.
I now have a new lawyer. Before I decided to hire her, I communicated my requirements. It’s early yet, but so far, she has been wonderful. In the questionnaire that I filled out from her before our meeting, she had asked if there had been any abuse. That was a very good sign.