California Domestic Violence Attorneys

California family courts can only assist with domestic violence which occurs between individuals with a specific familial or dating relationship.

This means that the victim and alleged abuser must be any of the following:

• A married couple
• An unmarried couple who have children together
• A couple who is divorced or separated
• Two people who are dating or engaged in a romantic relationship
• Two people who live together, or used to live together, in a non-roommate capacity
• Closely related people, such as a parent and child, grandparent and child, or siblings

Domestic violence can include physical harm, domestic battery, mental abuse, threats of physical harm, financial abuse, verbal abuse, coercive control, and other types of prohibited conduct defined below by the California Family Code:

• Placing a person in imminent danger of bodily harm
• Recklessly or intentionally causing harm
• Sexual assault, battery, molestation, or rape
• Attacking or harassing another individual
• Persisting, abusive, and unwanted contact
• Disturbing the peace of a victim
• Stalking or ignoring the terms of a restraining order

The first step abuse victims can take to get out of their situation is apply for a temporary restraining order, which is a temporary protective order that can be approved on the same day. It is crucial to speak with an experienced domestic abuse lawyer or local domestic violence advocate to discuss the best way to time and prepare for obtaining a domestic violence restraining order. Every victim of domestic violence needs a firm safety plan in place because leaving the abuser is the most dangerous time in the cycle of abuse for the victim.