All too often domestic violence survivors use all of their
financial resources to hire an attorney and then come to
find they have nothing left to secure a professional
advocate that remains on their side. And then they feel
frustrated, desperate, hopeless and abused. Sound familiar?
You expect your attorney to represent your best interest
and so it is understandable how you want to invest all you
have in this relationship. But, what may not be apparent
right out of the gate is that this person will need to be
paid beyond the initial retainer.
Now if you have limited resources, which is the case for
most domestic violence survivors, you could very well be in
a compromising situation once that retainer runs
out—if not sooner. Here's why...
Divorce Attorney's Realities
Your divorce attorney is not going to work without being
paid. So he/she will need to strategize how this will be
done. Who do you think he/she must appeal to in order to
carve the way toward his/her financial sustainability in
your case?
Most likely it will be to the one holding the purse
strings. Now don't get me wrong here. I'm not suggesting
that your counsel will pick up the phone and call your
partner because he controls the finances in your marriage.
That would be very unethical.
So how now will your counsel arrange to satisfy his/her
needs in order to remain as your representative in your
case? He/she will need to turn to those who can access the
key that opens the marital funds. Now to get this level of
cooperation there must be some give and take along the way.
Advocate for Your Best Advantage
Do not get concerned by the realities revealed in this
expose'; rather let this information help you prepare
yourself more adequately to have professional advocacy that
is un-entangled in the system that you are navigating.
Also, do not take this to suggest that all counsel may fail
to represent your best interest. We have seen some
excellent legal representation for battered women. We find
that all things being equal, one factor that impacts loyal
representation is a second arm to help you hold your own.
If you are a domestic violence victim in divorce
proceedings, refrain from putting all your eggs in one
basket. Keep in mind that you may want a professional
domestic abuse advocate that is not entangled in your
divorce. That is, you may want someone independent of the
financial politics of your case to help you stand up for
your rights.
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For more information about domestic violence divorce, see
Legal Domestic Abuse: How to Successfully Navigate the
System. Dr. Jeanne King, Ph.D. is a professional domestic
abuse consulting expert for survivors. Copyright 2009
Jeanne King, Ph.D.
http://www.EndDomesticAbuse.org/legal_domestic_abuse.php
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