Posts Tagged ‘post separation violence’
Legal bullying: When leaving doesn’t end the abuse
One of the most troubling kinds of post-separation abuse is legal bullying: the intentional misuse and manipulation of family laws and family court processes by the abuser.
Read moreIt doesn’t end when she leaves: Post-separation abuse
Why doesn’t she leave? Many people, including judges and lawyers, believe that when a woman leaves an abusive partner, he will stop abusing her. Sadly, this is rarely the case. Women with abusive partners realize this. Knowing the abuser will continue the violence often prevents them from leaving. Staying with him means a woman knows…
Read moreIntimate partner abuse: It doesn’t end just because she moves out
When a woman who has been living in an abusive relationship makes the difficult decision to leave her partner, she hopes to leave the abuse behind. Sadly, in most cases, the abuse will follow her out the door and remain a defining factor in her life — and the lives of her children — for…
Read moreWhat is financial abuse?
You may have been subjected to financial abuse during your relationship, and it may be continuing now that you have left. This kind of abuse is common, and can take many forms, including: Your partner controls the money and makes all the spending decisions He gives you a spending allowance and you have to account…
Read moreParalegals in family courts not the solution
Pamela Cross and Amanda Dale respond to the recent report by Justice Bonkalo, Family Legal Services Review. Although they applaud the effort, there is a “fatal flaw” in the report — a lack of understanding of the impact of violence in family court decisions. Cases involving violence within the family make up a significant percentage…
Read moreHow can I support a woman who is unrepresented in family court?
The number of litigants in family court who do not have lawyers has reached a critical point, with between 50 and 80% of cases now involving at least one party who is unrepresented. While not having a lawyer is of concern to any litigant, the impact on a woman who has left an abusive partner…
Read moreWhat is the role of violence (including separation violence) in custody and access cases in Ontario?
The presence of violence in the family is an important consideration in custody and access cases. It is, as we discuss below, one of the factors in the best interests of the child test. However, this does not mean that all judges understand how important this issue is or that all lawyers know how to…
Read morePost Separation Power and Control Wheel
The Power and Control Wheel of domestic violence is a very well-known and used tool developed in Duluth, Minnesota, by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project (DAIP). It reflects the experiences of women who have been battered by their male partners. Now translated into more than 40 languages the Wheel is used around the world by…
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