Legal

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  Do Stand Your Ground Laws Apply to DV Survivors?

  How self-defense laws help victims of abuse and how they don’t | Self-defense laws in every state are designed to help protect would-be victims of assault from prosecu... read more

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  When Abusers Hurt Themselves to Get Victims in Trouble

  Protect yourself from an abuser who self-injures to look like a victim | To dominate their partners, abusers sometimes call the police against their victims, or injure... read more

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  Abusers Claim 'Parental Alienation' to Gain Custody of Kids

  Some courts continue to ignore protective parents warning of abuse | Alleging parental alienation is a frightening tactic where one parent (usually an abusive partner ... read more

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  Taking the Stand in Domestic Violence: Tips for Testifying

  How to confidently take the stand to tell your side in court | Although you may feel scared or even panicked about testifying, speaking your truth in court can be empo... read more

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  Nine Ways to Prepare to Testify in Court

  Get the outcome you want in court by being prepared for the big day | Although you may feel concerned or even terrified about testifying against the person who abused ... read more

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  Women Serve Longer Prison Sentences After Killing Abusers

  When men kill the women they’re abusing, statistics say they get out sooner | In 2017 in North Carolina, a man convicted of stabbing his pregnant wife to death in thei... read more

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  A World Without Domestic Violence: Part III

  Imagine what would happen if abusers were actually held accountable for their crimes | In this final part of Barry Goldstein’s series, the former attorney, long-time d... read more

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  Recording Phone Calls Can Help Prove Abuse

  Here’s what you need to know about what’s legal and admissible | Proving nonphysical abuse in court is tricky for domestic violence survivor but one way survivors can ... read more

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  My Brain Created 100 Personalities to Protect Me

  An incredible story of survival and the failure of family court | Marielle Krogh starts out our interview by saying, “My story is probably going to sound pretty unbeli... read more

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  When You Can't Collect Evidence

  Court cases against abusers are bolstered by evidence from survivors—but what if it’s not safe for you to collect any? | Ask any survivor, advocate or attorney: Findin... read more

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  What Happens After an Abuser Gets Arrested?

  What’s going on from when an abuser is placed in the police car to release | Your abusive partner was just taken away in handcuffs. Whew. You finally breathe a sigh of... read more

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  New Book for Attorneys, Judges on Protecting Survivors

  New Book for Attorneys, Judges on Protecting Survivors | If you ask advocates and survivors about their experiences with the legal system, you’re not likely to hear a ... read more

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  Tragedy as a Catalyst for Change

  After her estranged husband killed their three daughters, Jessica Lenahan took her fight for human rights to the Supreme Court | In May 1999, Jessica Lenahan (then Gon... read more

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  Collecting Evidence of Abuse Without Danger

  The more you have, the better your case. And there’s a safe way to do it | In the fictional world of movies and TV, you’ll see detectives interviewing witnesses after ... read more

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  Is the System Failing Survivors?

  Looking at the fundamental flaws in courts and law enforcement | Attorney, activist and author of the blog Argue Like a Girl, Giugi Carminati, JD, describes herself as... read more