Chicago Lawyers for Domestic Violence Victims

After Any Abuse in Illinois, You Need Legal As Well As Physical Protection

Victims of domestic violence often feel like there is no escape from the physical and emotional torment. But whether the perpetrator is a boyfriend or girlfriend, a spouse or another family member, there are Illinois laws in place that are meant to protect you. You just need to know where to turn for help.

If you or a loved one is undergoing domestic violence, it’s imperative that you seek assistance immediately. The compassionate Chicago family law attorneys at Nottage and Ward, LLP, have dedicated their careers to protecting victims like you from further harm. We understand how important it is to feel safe, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that you and your family can move on with your lives without feeling threatened. Call (312) 332-2915 today to speak with one of our friendly representatives.

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How Common Is Domestic Violence?

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the State of Illinois in a past year had 65,800 intimate violence incidents reported to law enforcement, and experts expect that many other incidents went unreported. Of those, there were 84 domestic violence-related fatalities in the state, including 15 children. Furthermore, nationwide, a third of all women and a fourth of all men have experienced some form of physical violence that was committed by an intimate partner.

To protect victims of domestic violence, Illinois has enacted strong laws to keep offenders away from victims and prevent them from having access to firearms. According to state law, anyone who has been convicted of misdemeanor domestic violence or stalking is prohibited from owning a firearm. This ban extends to anyone who has been subjected to a temporary protective order, who must then relinquish any weapons in their possession to a "qualified person."

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What Constitutes Domestic Violence?

The Illinois Domestic Violence Act of 1986 defines abuse as physical abuse, harassment, intimidation of a dependent, interference with personal liberty, or willful deprivation of an individual. This is a rather broad definition, but the courts have found that domestic abuse can take many forms, including the following:

• Physical abuse – Such as shoving, grabbing, punching, hair-pulling, biting, kicking, and any other mechanical acts that could cause injury. The denial of medical care or forcing someone to consume alcohol or drugs against their will are also considered physical abuse.
• Sexual abuse – The coercion of sexual contact, rape (including marital rape), an attack on genitalia, or sexually demeaning an individual.
• Emotional abuse – Actions such as name-calling, excessive criticism, belittling, or damaging an individual’s relationship with their children.
• Psychological abuse – Actions that instill fear or a sense of isolation; acts of intimidation; threats to harm another family member, loved one, colleague, pets, or self; and/or intentionally isolating a person from family, friends, school, work, and extracurricular activities.
• Financial abuse – Exerting control over an individual through total control of financial resources, withholding a partner’s access to money, or forbidding employment or education.

It should be noted that domestic violence does not include a parent’s reasonable direction of a minor child.

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What Options Are Open to Chicago Victims of Domestic Violence?

If any of the above examples describe your current or past situation, you should seek help to ensure no more abuse takes place. For the purposes of the law, domestic violence can be committed by family members related by blood, spouses or ex-spouses, people who share (or used to share) a home or common dwelling, people who have a child in common, people who are dating or used to date (including same-sex couples), or personal assistants to people with disabilities.

When you reach out to the legal team at Nottage and Ward, LLP, we’ll lay out all your options. This may include seeking a temporary restraining order or protection order, or filing for an emergency allocation order while a more permanent solution is worked out. Your safety is our top priority and we’ll do everything we can to ensure you are protected.

Contact our Chicago family law attorneys today at (312) 332-2915 to schedule a private consultation.

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Additional Information

• Divorcing a Violent or Dangerous Person
• How to File for an Order of Protection in Illinois
• October Is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
• Illinois Domestic Violence Act (IDVA)