Divorce and Abuse – Covering Your Bases When Domestic Violence Is in Divorce Court

 

All too often domestic violence survivors use all of their financial resources to hire an attorney and then come to find they have nothing left to secure a professional advocate that remains on their side. And then they feel frustrated, desperate, hopeless and abused. Sound familiar?

You expect your attorney to represent your best interest and so it is understandable how you want to invest all you have in this relationship. But, what may not be apparent right out of the gate is that this person will need to be paid beyond the initial retainer.

Now if you have limited resources, which is the case for most domestic violence survivors, you could very well be in a compromising situation once that retainer runs outâ€"if not sooner. Here’s why…

Divorce Attorney’s Realities

Your divorce attorney is not going to work without being paid. So he/she will need to strategize how this will be done. Who do you think he/she must appeal to in order to carve the way toward his/her financial sustainability in your case?

Most likely it will be to the one holding the purse strings. Now don’t get me wrong here. I’m not suggesting that your counsel will pick up the phone and call your partner because he controls the finances in your marriage. That would be very unethical.

So how now will your counsel arrange to satisfy his/her needs in order to remain as your representative in your case? He/she will need to turn to those who can access the key that opens the marital funds. Now to get this level of cooperation there must be some give and take along the way.

Advocate for Your Best Advantage

Do not get concerned by the realities revealed in this expose’; rather let this information help you prepare yourself more adequately to have professional advocacy that is un-entangled in the system that you are navigating.

Also, do not take this to suggest that all counsel may fail to represent your best interest. We have seen some excellent legal representation for battered women. We find that all things being equal, one factor that impacts loyal representation is a second arm to help you hold your own.

If you are a domestic violence victim in divorce proceedings, refrain from putting all your eggs in one basket. Keep in mind that you may want a professional domestic abuse advocate that is not entangled in your divorce. That is, you may want someone independent of the financial politics of your case to help you stand up for your rights.

For more information about domestic violence divorce, see Legal Domestic Abuse: How to Successfully Navigate the System. Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D. is a professional domestic abuse consulting expert for survivors. Copyright 2009 Jeanne King, Ph.D. http://www.EndDomesticAbuse.org/legal_domestic_abuse.php

Article Source: Divorce and Abuse – Covering Your Bases When Domestic Violence Is in Divorce Court

 

By: Divorce Advice For Men