by Tina Seymour Demoran, Esquire
A few weeks ago, a woman attended a hearing for a domestic violence protective order in justice court.
She was unrepresented by counsel.
She had no friends or family there for moral support.
I watched as the hearing was held in an open courtroom. If I had been her attorney, I would have asked that the courtroom be cleared of all non-interested parties, to protect her privacy.
I watched as she asked for the justice court judge to give orders for things he had no authority to give…and watched the judge patiently explain that this court did not have jurisdiction over the divorce issues. As her attorney, I would have already explained these facts to her.
I watched her sit at the plaintiff’s table alone and frightened.
I watched her walk out of the courtroom without being assigned a court victim’s advocate.
I wondered if she had an attorney for her upcoming chancery divorce case.
If so, where was he/she today?
The order was granted, but I’ve seen them denied many times because the victims didn’t know what evidence was required or the court procedure for the orders.
Guys, as one of my fellow associates states, “there are many reasons to hire a lawyer, but if it involves your personal safety, your personal freedom, or your children, then you truly don’t need to handle it by yourself.”
Seek legal counsel when dealing with divorce, custody, child support, criminal charges, or domestic violence protective orders.
Don’t go through these battles alone.
