The New Jersey Police reported more than 60,000 domestic violence offenses in 2020. It just shows how big of a problem domestic violence has become in the state. A lot of these reported offenses were from Jersey City.
Experiencing abuse from an intimate partner can cause physical and mental trauma, making it difficult to comprehend how to tackle such a situation. Therefore, the first thing one should do in such scenarios is to contact a Jersey City domestic violence lawyer, who can provide you with legal help.
Domestic violence is more than just verbal or physical abuse.
Any abusive behavior demonstrated by one partner to maintain power or gain control over another intimate partner is regarded as domestic violence. Domestic violence is not restricted to one form and can be attributed to one or more of the following:
- Physical abuse, such as slapping, hitting, grabbing, biting, punching, hair pulling, including denying medical care or forcing alcohol/ drug use, etc.
- Sexual abuse, such as sexual behavior without consent, marital rape, forcing physical relations, or treating in a sexually demeaning manner, etc.
- Emotional abuse, such as undermining one’s sense of self-worth, abusive criticism, name-calling, damaging relations with others, diminishing one’s abilities, etc.
- Financial abuse, such as restraining the partner’s ability to acquire financial resources, fraud, coercion, restricting access to their money or credit cards, unfairly using their resources, etc.
- Psychological abuse like intimidation, threatening, destruction of pets or properties, forcing isolation, etc.
- Technological abuse, like stalking on social media platforms, spying using electronic devices, hacking phones or computers, etc.
Understanding how a domestic lawyer can help
Although some domestic violence cases may get resolved out of court, many require proper court proceedings. Therefore, hiring a professional domestic lawyer can help you in the following ways:
- A domestic violence lawyer can assess the severity and recurrence of the abuse to file charges that can range from misdemeanors to felonies. Conviction for some charges may result in heavy penalties and incarceration.
- They can help victims pursue a civil lawsuit to claim compensation for injuries, trauma, and other damages.
- They can help you get restraining orders from the court, including gun restrictions, bill payments, directives regarding children, etc.
- Lawyers can help the victims facing financial hardship due to abuse get compensation for medical treatment, pain, suffering, lost wages, etc.
- If you feel that divorce is the safest option for you, a domestic violence lawyer can help you file for one and claim custody of the children while also securing spousal and child support.
- Lawyers help you present your case in court, negotiate with the abuser(s), and safeguard the victim’s legal rights.
Seeking help from legal professionals in case of domestic violence can save you from terrifying situations and safeguard your best interest.
