Safety and Protection
Physical Safety. Your physical safety needs to be carefully evaluated. You should schedule an initial interview for 45 minutes to evaluate your situation. It costs $75. You can use that interview to evaluate how effective a court order would be in protecting you.
Most people can use the self help process provided at the court house in the county you reside in. The Family Abuse Protection Act gives you the right to file an affidavit reciting the nature of the violence caused by your spouse and get a court order requiring the police to remove the spouse from the residence and to arrest him if he returns to your residence or is found in the immediate area of the residence. For most people that works well. It gives safety and prevents further intimidation.
For a small number of people the order is not effective. This happens either because there is not long term plan to end the relationship or because of the danger and determination of the person causing the abuse. You need to know with certainty that you do not have these concerns before you act.
Legal Safety. This requires a legal review of your income, assets, history, future plans and family structure. Using the laws and your legal rights to anticipate your future needs is very complex. It requires an attorney with years of family law litigation and experience to understand how to protect you while you realize your plans. This can be a simple process, but it can be expensive. The alternative is to take more risks that your plans will be prevented by the actions of others. You are wise to evaluate your risks and choose how much safety to create and how much risk to take. If you have children or other valuable assets, you should have an initial interview and develop an understanding of how to keep them safe.
For emotional safety see Stopping the Pain.
See also Custody and Parenting, Collaborative Law, FAQ or Consumer Guide.