How Domestic Violence Impacts Child Custody
Domestic violence in Florida is defined as assault, battery, sexual abuse, stalking, kidnapping, or any other criminal offense by one household or family member to another that causes injury or death. While judges make custody decisions with the presumption that both parents should share custody, they will make other arrangements if that is not in […]
Do I Need a Temporary Restraining Order?
What is a Temporary Restraining Order? As the name suggests, a temporary restraining order is a short-term order by a civil judge. The order sets up harsh penalties for engaging in some action, generally having forbidden contact with the party noted, or being around their place of residence or being in the general vicinity of […]
Florida’s Domestic Violence Laws Changing
Earlier this year, leaders in Orange County pushed for change in Florida law. Specifically, they were looking at a few loopholes in Florida law that left domestic violence victims unprotected. The first, Senate Bill 342, is a no contact order. It was approved by the Florida senate, and will go into effect October 1. Prior […]
Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence
We like to highlight community agencies that are doing great work in our midst. The Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence is one of them. They maintain a long list of 42 certified local agencies statewide; they provide hotlines and a variety of outreach services all over the state. You can become a member or get […]
The Silent Killer in Domestic Violence Cases
Domestic violence remains a serious issue in the United States and around the rest of the world as well. Although laws have changed to increase penalties for perpetrators of domestic violence, millions of women and hundreds of thousands of men are assaulted by their partners every year. Domestic violence takes many forms and includes physical, […]
October: Domestic Violence Awareness Month
Domestic violence affects one in four women in their lifetime. It destroys families and threatens the well-being of spouses and children. In the United States alone it is estimated that 145 women are domestically abused every hour. To raise awareness of and end violence against women and girls, October has been designated as “Domestic Violence […]
Globally, One in Three Women Are Victims of Domestic Violence
The first systematic study of available data on assaults of women by intimate partners around the world was released on Thursday. The study reports that thirty percent of women aged fifteen years and older have suffered domestic violence at the hands of their partner. In the study, the authors synthesized 141 previous studies from 81 […]
GPS Tracking Used in High Risk Cases
On Valentine’s Day, a new policy to protect domestic-violence victims began in both Orange and Osceola counties. The policy mandates the use of GPS tracking devices in high risk domestic violence cases. The policy only mandates the wearing of a GPS device in those domestic violence cases in which a permanent injunction has been issued. […]
Seminole County Firefighter Arrested for Domestic Violence
A Winter Springs man is behind bars for allegedly attempting to strangle his girlfriend, and for also pointing a loaded gun at her head and threatening to kill her. Winter Springs police arrested Dean Erlandson, a Seminole County firefighter, for domestic violence after he was accused of beating his girlfriend. According to the police report, […]
Domestic Violence and Terminating a Lease
A lease on a residence, whether it be an apartment, townhouse or a single family home, is a binding contract between two parties, with both parties being obligated to honor the terms of the agreement. Even though it is a binding contract, there are certain state and federal laws that do allow tenants to break […]