Family Law
Domestic Abuse
Our attorneys have years of experience obtaining and defending against Abuse Petitions as well as negotiating solutions that best benefit our clients’ needs.
Print to PDFProven Domestic Abuse Lawyers serving New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware
New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Delaware have laws to protect spouses and members of a household from abuse and neglect, including temporary relief in emergency situations. The legal definition of abuse is the occurrence of one or more of the following actions between family or household members, sexual or intimate partners, or persons who share biological parenthood:
- Attempting to cause or intentionally, knowingly or recklessly causing bodily injury, rape, spousal sexual assault or involuntary deviate sexual intercourse
- Placing another in fear of imminent serious bodily injury
- False imprisonment
- Physically or sexually abusing minor children, or
- Stalking, defined as knowingly engaging in a course of conduct or repeatedly committing acts toward another person including following a person, without proper authority, under circumstances which place that person in reasonable fear of bodily injury
Our attorneys have obtained or defended against hundreds of Abuse/Protection Orders, representing both victims of abuse and defendants of Protection from Abuse Orders.
Our Value
The attorneys on our team have years of experience with courts and agencies throughout the Tri-state area, comprising New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Given the close proximity of these states, an abuse-related legal issue could often involve multiple states. Because each state handles abuse issues slightly differently, our attorneys can assist a party whose issue may involve multiple states determine which jurisdiction offers them the best opportunity for success.
Our clients appreciate that our domestic abuse attorneys look at all options. These options frequently include negotiating a beneficial resolution that other attorneys would not have considered. On the other hand, most family law attorneys see limited options with domestic abuse matters. These attorneys either obtain an Abuse/Protection Order or they do not. The members of our team are not afraid to “look outside the box” to find the best, most creative solutions for our clients, whether the client is seeking protection from abuse or believes that a Protection from Abuse Order was wrongly filed against them.
Our Clients
People who have been abused turn to us for help when they are seeking legal protection through the Family Court system. Our attorneys also help parties who have been accused of abusive behavior defend against those allegations as well.
Even though parents have a fundamental, constitutionally protected interest in their children, child protection agencies may step in to protect children if their mental or physical well-being is being harmed or threatened. These agencies may bring two types of legal actions against parents during these circumstances: Child abuse/neglect-protective services and Guardianship/termination of parental rights actions.
Our Focus
The members of our Domestic Abuse practice not only understand the complexities of the law, but also the pressures and impacts of the issue from our client’s point of view. For example, clients who file abuse petitions are frequently concerned with their safety and the safety of their children. However, clients who are defending against abuse petitions are often concerned about how the allegations will impact their employment and livelihood.
Our domestic abuse lawyers are adept at negotiating agreements to limit any potential impact to a party’s employment. In cases where a divorce action is pending, our attorneys may be able to negotiate a “Civil Stay Away” Order under the divorce action and have the abuse action dismissed. This approach benefits the client because a Civil Stay Away Order does not carry the same stigma as an Abuse Order. Additionally, a Civil Stay Away Order does not impose criminal penalties in the event of an alleged violation of the Order.
Contact Our Domestic Abuse Lawyers
If you need to discuss a domestic abuse matter, contact our highly experienced New Jersey domestic abuse attorneys. Please contact our firm using our contact us form. The attorneys at Obermayer represent clients in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.
Awards Won*
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Key Contacts
Attorneys
Michael Bertin Examines Defendants’ Standing in Protection From Abuse Contempt Cases in The Legal Intelligencer
