subject: Finding A Domestic Violence Attorney For A Friend [print this page] A domestic violence attorney may be necessary if you have a friend whom you believe is being abused by a family member. It is important for you to be cautiously supportive in such cases. In these situations, you could do more harm than good by being too vocal. Some abusers are easily jealous and defensive. If he or she thinks that their spouse or relative has been talking about the situation, it might make things worse.
You should not stand by and watch a friend be abused, so you will have to strategically work with your friend to help. The best thing you may be able to do is find a domestic violence attorney for him or her. The friend would need to be very careful, because any hint of going to the law could actually cause major problems.
This type of abuse is not uncommon. Thankfully, there are shelters and groups for those who are victims of this abuse, but there are probably many who have been murdered, and perhaps the truth was never even discovered.
If your friend agrees to let you look for a domestic violence attorney for him or her, you should find one that believes in complete confidentiality, empathy, affordability, and flexibility. These traits will go a long way as you strive to help your friend.
It is important for a law professional to keep everything quiet because it could be a matter of life and death. Empathy is also important. The individuals helping do not have to be victims themselves, but it would probably help to some degree as long as they were completely recovered from the situation. Affordability is also important because in situations like this, the one being abused cannot draw attention by spending large amounts of money on anything. Make sure the domestic violence attorney will allow incremental payments.
Flexibility is another trait of importance in these situations. Once you find the right help for a friend, meeting locations will need to be arranged at places and times that might take some flexibility on the part of the law professional.
Once you find someone that has some of these traits as well as some others that you may find important, hopefully your friend will be on his or her way to getting away from the abusive situation. Some might think of victims of family or spousal abuse as being only women. This is not the case. Although it may sound strange, there are men who are victims of spousal abuse as well. Never discount a victim who comes to you for help. You might be their only hope by helping them find a domestic violence attorney.
