Get free answers to your Domestic Violence legal questions from lawyers in your area.
I lived with my ex-fiancée in Texas for about eight months, and we were engaged for two months. We filed joint taxes under her insistence, but I later amended them to reflect my single status. After breaking up, she has continued to harass me, making false claims that we are married through common... View More 
answered on Mar 25, 2025
The correct legal procedure is to file an original petition seeking a declaratory judgment that you were never married.
The joint tax return, however, presents a problem for you. Single taxpayers may not file a "joint" return even if they are living together. The filing of a... View More
I filed for divorce, and it is currently pending in court. My husband, who has two indictments for domestic violence, initially took most of the household items with police assistance, leaving only the basic furniture. Later, I was informed by dispatch that he would return with two officers to... View More
answered on Mar 15, 2025
No, police do not have the authority to allow your husband to take your firearms and personal property. They are only authorized to do a “civil standby” to prevent violence when your spouse is removing firearms and personal property he claims as his.
In your pending divorce case, you... View More
I need legal advice on obtaining full custody of my 2-year-old child. My child's father, who is also my abuser, was released from jail after being convicted of misdemeanor indecent assault and has a prior felony aggravated assault charge against me. There is no custody order in place, and no... View More
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answered on Mar 13, 2025
I'm so sorry you're going through this. Your concerns for your child's safety are completely valid. In Texas, you can request a protective order for yourself and your child based on a history of family violence and the likelihood of future harm. Given his conviction for indecent... View More
I'm in the process of a divorce, and my spouse, who has a documented history of covert narcissistic abuse, has served me divorce papers three times but hasn't followed up with the court. My psychiatrist has documented my spouse's mental abuse. I am concerned that my spouse, who has a... View More
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answered on Mar 7, 2025
You can take control of the divorce process by filing for divorce yourself or filing a counterpetition if your spouse’s petition is still open. This allows you to move the case forward instead of waiting on your spouse. Hiring an attorney who will push the case forward can also help prevent... View More
I need legal advice for my husband, a senior citizen currently in jail in Texas for a first-time family violence charge. A bond is set, but I cannot get him out as I am considered the victim, despite not needing a no-contact order, which is in place. His only prior is a drug charge from over 20... View More
answered on Mar 6, 2025
You need a lawyer to help you. His dementia can definitely cause erratic behavior and aggressive behavior. If you have any doctors notes or reports stating his status with dementia, that would go a long way with a judge. I would like to know what county you are in and which judge you have.... View More
In 2009, I was thrown out of a vehicle by my ex-husband, resulting in a brain hemorrhage. I survived but now suffer from mental issues and experience panic and anxiety attacks. There are medical records documenting the injury. I didn't pursue legal action against him at the time because he... View More
answered on Mar 3, 2025
It is unlikely that you can take any action against your ex-husband based on the 2009 incident now because of the statute of limitations, depending upon where that incident occurred and whether your injuries resulted in you being rendered "mentally incompetent."
You can take... View More
I am seeking spousal support. I was unable to have children naturally due to hormonal issues, but I underwent medical procedures to accommodate my spouse's desire for a child. We now have a one-year-old, and I have not worked for 20 months since becoming pregnant. I was a stay-at-home mom and... View More
answered on Feb 18, 2025
When you file for divorce, you should request temporary spousal support as part of your temporary orders. In order to increase your chances of receiving spousal support, you should continue to diligently pursue employment and keep track of such attempts. You should secure certified copies of your... View More
I'm in Texas, and my divorce decree states that my child's father is allowed day visits, but he has not yet visited our child. Recently, his text messages have been manipulative and argumentative, affecting my mood; there are no explicit requirements regarding communication in the decree.... View More
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answered on Feb 16, 2025
You may request relief from the court by filing a motion outlining your child’s father’s behavior and asking that all communication between you be conducted through a court-monitored app, such as AppClose or Our Family Wizard. These platforms ensure that all messages are recorded and accessible... View More
answered on Feb 5, 2025
Interfering with a 911 call can happen in various ways, not just hanging up the phone when someone has successfully called 911. If the defendant allegedly snatched the victim’s phone away, for example. Especially if your charges came in the context of family violence allegations, you need to hire... View More
NA
answered on Jan 22, 2025
Yes. If a criminal case has been filed, you need to persuade the district attorney handling your case to dismiss it. How depends upon your particular facts and circumstances. For example, if you have located a video recording of the event giving rise to the case and it clearly shows that no... View More
I'm curious on why they relied on prior cases instead of technology.?
I'm interested to know more.
answered on Jan 16, 2025
From the appellate opinion, it does not appear that any type of "technology" is involved. The victims of the sexual assaults testified what happened. The defendant's attorney attempted to raise questions as to the consistency and reliability of the victims' testimony. A jury,... View More
He was psychologically abusing me for months, when I finally confronted him about him intentionally changing our moving plans at the last possible moment, and postponing the move for ridiculous reasons, He left me in the desert 40 miles from anything. I had to hitchhike for hours and found him at a... View More
answered on Jan 15, 2025
Yes, Texas recognizes a lawsuit for wrongful eviction. Because the damages are $20,000 or less, you should file this case as a small claim in the justice of the peace court where the premises are located. In JP court, you do not need an attorney. The cost of an attorney would ordinarily be more... View More
answered on Nov 11, 2024
Whether acts or omissions constitute discipline or neglect/abuse depends upon the specific facts and circumstances presented by the competent and admissible evidence in a lawsuit which will be adjudicated by a finder of facts (either a judge or a jury).
Generally, reasonable discipline... View More
I filed assault on my boyfriend. Then they enhanced it to aggri ated with deadly weapon. The next day I filed a affidavite of non prosecution with the DA. The state picked it up and a year later received letter that grand jury indicted him. He is now scheduled for pretrial. What should he expect?.
answered on Nov 4, 2024
He may be asked to enter a plea, or answer information pertaining to whether he's interested in making a plea deal. If he has a lawyer, his lawyer should handle all of that and guide him through it. If he doesn't, he sorely needs a lawyer. Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon (in a... View More
i am the complaining witness, and pressed charges against someone while severely intoxicated. i do not remember the events as they correctly happened though i told the police officer who originally took my statement i believed i was put in a chokehold. but i want to take it back and they told me if... View More
answered on Sep 30, 2024
Theoretically, you can submit an affidavit of non-prosecution to the district attorney prosecuting your case. In cases involving domestic violence, that does not always work because the victim and perpetrator typically know one another and may be in a relationship. That raises a concern that the... View More
answered on Sep 26, 2024
It depends on whether your spouse has been served, has waived citation, has answered, or has agreed to the terms of a decree of divorce.
If your spouse has not been served, you will need to request issuance of citation and make arrangements to have your spouse served. Or, in the... View More
My brother is currently serving at an TDCJ ISF for 90 days for parole violation . We just found out that DA may be considering pressing charges against him on a case in which the other party lied to police about domestic violence, has since completed an affidavit attesting that their original... View More
answered on Sep 20, 2024
The only way to meaningfully address the issue is to hire a criminal defense attorney. Sometimes, if you catch a case before criminal charges are formally filed, a defense lawyer can convince the DA not to file the case at all. There isn't a lot of time to waste, though. You'll need to... View More
attorney with multiple videos of her coming up and hitting me unprovoked and being the aggressor every time and I’m still being punished. It seems like he’s helping the DA instead of me. What can I do? I also have multiple witnesses who are ready to testify against her and he’s basically... View More
answered on Sep 7, 2024
If your court-appointed attorney isn't giving you a defense you're comfortable with, then you're absolutely free to hire a private criminal defense attorney. No attorney-- appointed or private-- will be able to guarantee any particular outcome. That said, because you get to choose... View More
I have a 5 year protective order, I lived in this apartment with my abuser and want to move out. He no longer lives there; however I fear he may send people my way- and I would like to live somewhere he can’t pursue me. My dad is a co-signer on my lease but NOT a resident- will they go after him?... View More
answered on Sep 6, 2024
If your Dad is a cosigner on the lease, they can contractually pursue him for any amounts agreed to in the lease, including any attorneys' fees incurred by the complex owner(s) pursuing the damages suffered as a result of the broken lease. That stated, you should consult with a landlord... View More
he is 25 and i am 17 we’ve been together for a year and i did not call it in it was a traffic stop where i was bleeding and found in the car with him. he also got caught with hard drugs. i said i did not want to press charges but the state did anyways
answered on Aug 14, 2024
If by "we've been together for a year" you mean that you, then 16, and he, then 24, have been in a sexual relationship, then yes-- things can certainly get worse for him because he can be charged with various sexual crimes against a minor. I can picture the charges being aggravated... View More
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