 AVLF's Domestic Violence ProgramIf you or someone you know may be a victim of abusive behavior by a partner (behavior that includes threats, physical assault, forced sex, financial control, isolation, emotional abuse or stalking),
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Across the country and in Georgia, domestic violence continues to be a widespread problem. People touched both directly and indirectly by these tragedies often wonder what they can do to help victims and their children. A recent study evaluated the services that are typically provided to victims of domestic violence and concluded that among all of the services offered, civil legal representation had the most direct impact on a victim’s ability to break free from their abuser.
AVLF’s Domestic Violence Project assists victims of intimate partner violence/stalking and their children secure protection by providing pro bono legal assistance and representation in civil Temporary Protective Order hearings in Fulton County and by providing information regarding the available legal options. AVLF’s DV Project trains, coordinates and mentors lawyers, paralegals, and law students.
AVLF’s Domestic Violence Project coordinates four ways in which volunteers can use their legal expertise to assist victims of intimate partner violence/stalking and their children in a meaningful way:
• The Safe Families Office, located at the Fulton County Courthouse
• The Attorney Referral Program
• The Paralegal Project
• The Externship Program for law students.
The Safe Families Office is a collaboration among Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation (AVLF), Partnership Against Domestic Violence (PADV), and the Fulton County Superior Court. Working closely with the Family Division of Superior Court, volunteers and staff from AVLF and PADV offer legal and safety planning assistance on a walk-in basis to victims of intimate partner violence/stalking, who are seeking to file a civil Temporary Protective Order (TPO) in Fulton County Superior Court. Volunteer paralegals, attorneys, and law students provide assistance with completing the legal documents necessary to file a Petition for a Temporary Protective Order and accompany victims to an emergency, Ex Parte Hearing which occurs the same day. Victims may receive assistance at the Safe Families Office on a walk-in basis Monday through Friday between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Ex Parte Hearings occur daily at 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m.; and 3:00 p.m.
Through the Attorney Referral Program, individual attorneys volunteer to represent victims of intimate partner violence/stalking at their civil Temporary Protective Order hearings, which must occur within 30 days of the Ex Parte Order being issued. In these cases, victims have already filed a Petition for a Temporary Protective Order, have received an Ex Parte Order from a judge, and are requesting representation at their follow-up evidentiary hearing. Volunteer attorneys receive a pre-screened case from AVLF that includes the Petition, the Ex Parte Order, and an Intake Questionnaire which provides background information on the case. Volunteer attorneys then make contact with their clients, prepare the cases, and represent the clients in court at the evidentiary hearings. The evidentiary hearings occur every Tuesday and Thursday at 9:30 a.m. Volunteer attorneys must be licensed to practice in Georgia to participate in this program, but they need not be litigators or family-law attorneys to participate.
The Paralegal Project utilizes a team-based approach to provide legal representation to domestic violence victims at civil Temporary Protective Order Hearings. In this initiative, paralegals from participating firms meet with victims down at the Safe Families Office, assist them with completing their Petitions and other legal paperwork, and accompany victims to the Ex Parte Hearings which occur on that same day. Once an Ex Parte Order is issued, the paralegal brings the case back to their firm where an already-assigned volunteer attorney is ready to begin work on the case. Together, the paralegal and the attorney prepare the case for the evidentiary hearing. The paralegal also accompanies the attorney and the client to court for the follow-up hearing, providing assistance to the attorney and support to the client during the proceedings. This team-based approach maximizes efficiency while giving the victim needed support from the very beginning of the process until its completion. Currently, the law firms of Kilpatrick Stockton and Sutherland participate in the Paralegal Project.
In the Externship Program, law students from local law schools provide assistance through the Safe Families Office. Third-Year law students in good standing are also eligible to become authorized under Georgia’s Third-Year Practice Act to represent clients in court at the follow-up hearings. AVLF provides direct supervision for externs in court. In addition to actual litigation experience, externs have the opportunity to develop client counseling skills and to observe court. Attending a law school in Georgia in not a requirement for this program.
Volunteers are vital to the DV Project. AVLF is proud to have ongoing relationships with the law firms of: Arnall, Golden & Gregory; DLA Piper; Kilpatrick Stockton; Morris, Manning & Martin; and Sutherland. These firms have committed attorneys and paralegals to participating in the DV Project on a regular basis. Additionally, the DV Project enjoys working with individual attorneys and paralegals who are not part of a firm initiative, but want to contribute to the Project.
Links
Domestic Violence - Forms and Resources
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Funding provided in part by the Fulton County Board of Commissioners under the guidance of the Human Services Grant Program.
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