The image that a New York family shows to the world may be very different than the reality of the family’s everyday life. While many families operate with love and disagreements, never allowing either to cause extreme or dangerous behavior between the members, others are plagued by a very real and very damaging problem: domestic violence. Members of a family may conceal their abuse from others and carry the burden of violence alone, without the support of those they may trust.
Being the victim of domestic violence can be scary and isolating. A victim can feel shame over their role as an abused person when in fact the fault of the problem lies with their abuser. In some cases victims may avoid help with their abusers in an effort to stop their torment from getting any worse.
However, victims of domestic violence do not have to put up with attacks from their relations. The laws of New York provide victims with tools to keep them away from their abusers and protect them from harm. Attorneys who work in the family law field are well-suited to discuss the following options with domestic violence victims as well as other legal strategies that may provide them with relief.
Domestic violence victims can seek orders of protection to stop their abusers from having contact with them. There are different types of protective orders that victims may seek, ranging from emergency orders that take immediate effect and last for only short periods of time to longer term protective orders that provide similar security but for longer durations.
Victims may also seek restraining orders that can limit the types of contact that abusers may have with them. A restraining order may, for example, stipulate that an abuser may not come to a victim’s place of employment or call the victim on the telephone. Protective orders and restraining orders are issued through the courts and carry with them sanctions for abusers when they are violated.
Domestic violence affects many New York families. It can be a debilitating affliction in a victim’s life but victims do have legal options for finding relief from those who cause them harm.