Statistics have shown that about 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have experienced some type of severe physical violence perpetrated upon them by an intimate partner, which includes domestic violence in the form of physical assault and domestic battery. This violence jeopardizes your safety, but it also puts your children at risk.
If you’re in a relationship that’s defined by domestic violence, or if your children are being exposed to domestic violence in their other parent’s household, you need to take legal action to secure protection.
How can you keep your children safe from domestic violence?
If you and your children live with an abuser, then you have to find a safe way out. You might be able to obtain no contact orders once you leave the residence, but you’ll also have to address custody. This is true, too, if you’re children are being exposed to domestic violence in the other parent’s home. This will require you to seek either an initial custody order or a modification of custody if an order already exists.
What evidence do you need to secure the right custody order?
There are a lot of places you can turn for the evidence you need. Consider looking for the following:
- Police reports showing that violence is common in the home.
- Witness accounts that depict the other parent’s violent tendencies or the overall conflict in the home.
- Your children’s mental health records that show the impact that exposure to domestic violence has had on them.
- Schooling records that show how your child’s learning has been negatively impacted since being exposed to domestic violence.
Be thorough. You want to put your best arguments forward the first time.
Act now to protect your children
It takes a lot of courage to stand up to an abuser, even if you’re not their victim. But you have to be strong for your children. You might be the only one able and willing to speak for them. So, if you’re ready to act to keep your kids safe, then consider your next steps in securing the custody order that protects them.