If you have been accused of domestic abuse—whether the accusations are false or were made in good faith—you have rights under the law.
It is important to understand these rights and to exercise them to the fullest extent in an effort to promote a strong defense to the allegations. If and when you are formally charged with domestic assault and battery or another domestic violence charge, you’ll need to have a strong defense in place.
Failure to successfully defend against a domestic violence charge could lead to both short-term and long-term consequences that are best avoided. Even if you are eventually convicted, as an experienced domestic violence lawyer – including those who practice at The Law Office of Daniel J. Wright – can confirm, it is going to be far better for you to have fought hard and (if possible) mitigated these consequences to the fullest possible extent. Sitting back and doing nothing should not be treated as an option at this point.
Dealing with Orders of Protection
If you are named in an order of protection against an alleged victim and/or other vulnerable party, it is critically important that you honor the terms of this order to the letter. Failure to honor the terms of an order of protection may land you in jail and will potentially damage the strength of your defense to the underlying accusations against you.
If you need to communicate with the protected party for some reason (you need to remove your belongings from mutually owned property, you need to communicate about your minor children, etc.) speak with an attorney who can serve your interests in ways that don’t breach the terms of your agreement. Even if you communicate with the protected party through a third party (other than an attorney), you could be held in violation of the order of protection. Don’t test it.
Child Custody, Employment, Schooling, Housing, Criminal Consequences
Allegations of domestic abuse could lead to alterations in any child custody arrangements that affect your family. You’ll want to be as proactive as possible in connecting with an experienced attorney to protect your parental rights. If you are convicted of domestic abuse, you could face jail time, fines, mandatory anger and/or or substance abuse treatment, community service, and life-long struggles to secure employment, housing, and schooling as a result of your criminal record. Now is not the time to be thrifty. Hire an attorney and protect yourself from any and all consequences related to these allegations and/or charges that you can.