Legal Advocacy for Victims of Domestic Violence
Being a legal advocate for a domestic violence program can be so rewarding. I feel like I am providing a service to someone who truly needs my help to navigate the court process. Before working for Transitions, I worked in the court system. I tried to help people as much as possible, but I often felt as though there is more I could be doing. I made that change to try to do more. That doesn’t mean there aren’t things that don’t frustrate me in my role as an advocate. Victims of domestic violence often times face an uphill battle in the court system. Often times judges only look at physical violence when they are deciding whether they will grant a Protection From Abuse (PFA) order or not. Unfortunately, many victims of domestic violence suffer from the effects of verbal and mental abuse long after the physical bruising is gone. Yet, the courts do not consider that for a PFA. Many people lack understanding and empathy toward victims of domestic violence. On average, it takes a vi...