Encinitas Domestic Violence Attorney | Jeffrey Novack
Encinitas Domestic Violence Lawyer Jeffrey Novack has over 30 years’ experience representing clients in matters involving domestic violence. Mr. Novack is a Family Law Specialist certified by the California State Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization. He is an expert at helping clients resolve difficult situations.
If domestic violence is an issue in your life, you should know that help is available. Domestic Violence Attorney Jeffrey Novack can help you understand your rights and your options moving forward. Before you divorce an abusive partner, you must take measures to protect yourself and your kids. Otherwise, your abusive partner can hurt you physically, emotionally, and/or financially.
Contact the Novack Law Offices for skilled guidance in domestic violence matters. Call (760) 942-1144 and speak directly to our experienced attorney during your free consultation. We offer personalized, affordable legal services to guide you along every step of the way.
Domestic Violence Lawyer Representation in California
As a trusted family law firm, the Novack Law Offices has extensive experience helping clients through domestic violence situations. The following are some of the measures that can keep you safe.
Knowing when to leave an abusive partner is important. Many people will tell you not to leave your marital home before you conclude your divorce. That is generally good advice for many reasons. You give your partner de facto custody of the kids if you leave your marital home and leave the kids. De facto custody can easily become a permanent custody arrangement if you are not careful. Also, your spouse might take out their frustrations on the property you might leave in the home. Your spouse might gain exclusive use of the home through the court.
However, you shouldn’t stay in your home if your life is under threat, just because of the above reasons. Determine whether your partner is likely to cause you physical harm or not. Let your gut feeling, your partner’s words and actions, and your partner’s past behavior guide you. Don’t put your life at risk; leave if that is the only way you can guarantee your safety.
Get Protection from the Court | Restraining Orders
You might be safer if you run away from your marital home, but your partner might still hurt you in other ways. The best way to get as much protection as possible is to go to the authorities. Call the police if you think your life is in imminent danger. Consult a family law lawyer if the threat is not imminent and you need interim protection from the court.
If your application is successful, the court can grant you a temporary restraining order (TRO) to protect you from your spouse. A TRO can help keep your abusive partner away from you and your kids until a full hearing can grant you permanent protection.
Gather the Relevant Documents | Securing Your Future
You can’t predict what your abusive partner will do. For example, they may lock you out of the marital funds, destroy or hide your title deeds, or even hide your children’s passports. Expect the worst and gather the relevant documents before your partner does any of those things. Make copies of marital documents and secure your documents in a safe place.
Here are some of the documents you should have:
- Birth certificates
- Copies of property deeds and titles
- Copies of financial statements
- Medical records
- Police or court documents such as TROs
Add any document you think is relevant or important to the list above. The more documents you can gather, the more you will protect yourself from your partner’s actions.
Get Support and Advocacy
Don’t go through an abusive divorce alone; get all the support possible to make the process a little bit easier for you. Support can come from friends and relatives, a professional therapist, support or self-help groups, and even a trusted family law attorney or divorce lawyer.
Don’t forget, however, that you should only listen to the advice of a professional lawyer on legal matters. Let your support group help you in other ways, but don’t take their legal advice as the truth.
Avoid Collaborative Divorce | Seek Better Options
Collaborative divorce, where you settle your divorce without the court’s involvement, is a good way to reduce the cost and duration of a divorce. Unfortunately, collaborative divorce is not a good idea if you have an abusive partner.
For a collaborative divorce to work, you should be able to sit down with your partner and negotiate your divorce issues on an equal footing. That won’t likely work if your partner is abusive. Get a divorce lawyer to ensure you get a fair divorce settlement.
Your partner’s abusive acts weaken their child custody battle. According to the California legislature, the occurrence of domestic violence in a home harms the children’s welfare even if the children are not the direct targets of the violence.
Call our Experienced Domestic Violence Attorney
Contact the Novack Law Offices to help you navigate your divorce and get legal protection from your abusive partner. Call (760) 942-1144 and arrange for a free consultation with Domestic Violence Lawyer Jeffrey Novack. Or, contact us by email. We will contact you soon.