The Elliot Green Law Offices are attorneys in Brooklyn, New York who may be able to assist you if you need an order of protection. Victims of domestic violence, victims who have been threatened with violence, or individuals in emotionally abusive relationships who are deciding to leave these relationships often need to muster significant amounts of courage to move forward. Victims may find themselves isolated from family and friends and may be frightened about what the next steps should be. Fortunately, the law offers some legal avenues victims can take to seek protection.
Orders of protection are typically sought in situations where an individual has either caused harm or has threatened to harm you or your children. If you are trying to leave a situation or relationship where you have been harmed or where a person has threatened to harm you, putting together a safety plan is one way where you can take steps to protect yourself and your children. According to the National Domestic Violence Hotline, a safety plan can involve finding ways to cope with the complex emotions that can arise when you are leaving an abusive or violent relationship, finding ways to open up about the abuse, and taking legal steps to protect yourself and your family. One of the legal steps you can take when leaving a relationship where violence has either taken place or where you have been threatened with violence is to get an order of protection. The Elliot Green Law Offices is a Brooklyn, New York law firm that may be able to assist you with getting an order of protection.
What is an Order of Protection and How Do I Get One?
An order of protection is a court order that can prohibit an individual from doing certain things. For example, an order of protection can order an individual to maintain physical distance from you or from your children, require an individual to leave your home or move out, or require that an individual give up their weapons. An order of protection can also prevent an individual from acquiring a weapon. An order of protection can also have an impact on your child custody arrangement. It can also impact your divorce. Because an order of protection can have implications for your divorce, your child custody arrangement, and other aspects of your life, sometimes individuals choose to consult with an order of protection attorney like the Elliot Green Law Offices in Brooklyn, New York. The Elliot Green Law Offices can review your situation, help you understand what an order of protection can and cannot do for your family, assist you with gathering evidence to support your case, and help you take steps to protect yourself and your family.
An order of protection can only be acquired in certain circumstances. Individuals must have a specific kind of relationship with you in order for an order of protection to be issued. According to the New York State Unified Court System, in order for an order of protection to be issued, a person must either be a spouse or former spouse or partner, a person with whom you have a child, a family member, or any individual with whom you have or have had an “intimate relationship.”
According to the New York State Unified Court System, in order to get an order of protection, you may need to fill out a form known as a “Family Offense Petition.” Filing an order of protection if you are going through a divorce, or if you are in the process of negotiating child custody arrangements can have a potential impact on your divorce and on your child custody plan. The Elliot Green Law Offices is a Brooklyn, New York order of protection law firm that can help you with the filing of your order of protection and can help you understand the ways in which an order of protection might impact your children, your divorce, and your family.
Steps You Can Take to Protect Yourself If You Are Facing Domestic Violence
It can sometimes be difficult for victims to recognize the cycles and patterns of abuse. What are the patterns of abuse? According to the Mayo Clinic, patterns of abuse can include name-calling, insulting, isolating, excessive jealousy, threatening violence, performing acts of violence, or blaming you for violent or abusive behavior. These are just some of the forms that domestic violence can take. Sometimes individuals are also victims of financial abuse, or a spouse might use abusive threats regarding children or pets to control his or her victim. Abuse is ultimately about control.
It can be difficult to recognize the patterns of abuse because they can start slowly and worsen over time. The abusive cycle can often involve an act of violence or verbal abuse followed by apologies and acts of love, followed again by violence. If you are realizing that you might be in an abusive relationship and are ready to take steps to leave, this can be one of the most difficult decisions you might have to make in your life and also one of the most courageous ones. The cycle of violence can sometimes escalate when a person takes steps to leave an abusive relationship. Victims sometimes take legal steps to protect themselves and their children. An order of protection is one legal step you may be able to take to order that a person leave your home, maintain distance from you, and respect your property and space. While an order of protection cannot physically stop someone from harming you, it can offer you legal recourse if a person comes to your home, your work, stalks you, or enters your property. The Elliot Green Law Offices is an order of protection law firm in Brooklyn, New York that may be able to assist you if you are leaving an abusive relationship and need help, or if you have questions about whether an order of protection is right for you or your situation. Our lawyers may be able to help you take steps in seeking an order of protection and help you navigate the court system if an order of protection is required during your divorce or separation. Contact our order of protection law firm today to learn more.