Laura’s House Legal Department Empowers Victims of Domestic Violence
Posted on August 13, 2012
Legal Advocates at Laura’s House provide a broad range of services to victims of domestic violence who are seeking information, guidance and assistance with the restraining order process and related issues
LADERA RANCH, Calif., August 13, 2012 – Laura’s House, a non-profit organization whose mission is to change the social beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe place in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse, provides legal services in English and Spanish to more than 300 individuals annually.
Among the services provided to clients by the Laura’s House Legal Department are intake interviews; safety planning; education on victim’s rights; registration for the State of California’s Safe at Home program; assistance in preparing and filing a domestic violence restraining order; collection of evidence, including the photographing of injuries; court transportation; court accompaniment; court direction; and referrals to community resources, emergency shelters and pro bono attorneys. The Legal Department also hosts a monthly legal clinic in partnership with the Orange County Bar Association.
“The Legal Department is committed to a collaborative approach when addressing domestic violence issues,” said Adam Dodge, a legal advocate for Laura’s House. “Our legal advocates collaborate with community and governmental agencies and serve on committees such as the OC Family Violence Council, which furthers our goal of providing a balanced response to the legal challenges that our clients may face as they build lives that are free of violence.”
Lia Chacon, a legal advocate for Laura’s House goes on to state, “Each and every client that walks through the doors of our shelter or the counseling and resource center is treated with great care and consideration, and we often will spend hours on the intake interview, discussing the various options that are available to them from a legal standpoint, providing them with resources, and creating a safety plan.”
In addition to the services offered by the Laura’s House Legal Department, Laura’s House also partners with several prominent area law firms and Law School Legal Clinics, referring clients for limited scope representation to obtain restraining orders.
“Providing our clients with a safe place to live, counseling and legal advocacy services are critical to our efforts to ‘end the silence’ of domestic violence,” said Margaret Bayston, CEO and Executive Director for Laura’s House. “I am grateful to Adam, Lia and our entire staff for their commitment and dedication to helping our clients build lives that are free of violence, through a full spectrum of programs and services we provide to the Orange County community and beyond.”
More information on the Laura’s House Legal Department is available at www.laurashouse.org/legal-services.html.
About Laura’s House
Over the past eighteen years, Laura’s House has provided residential shelter and support services to nearly 3,500 families, and counseling, life skills education and legal assistance to over 40,000 individuals. The mission of Laura’s House is to change the social beliefs, attitudes and the behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.
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