Legal Services

Friends of Abused Families provides the following legal services:

• Advocacy and representation in restraining order cases
• Legal advice and information about family law issues
• Support for victims of crime
• Help with the immigration process for victims of domestic or sexual violence
• Referrals to other legal service providers

If you have questions about our services or if you need to know how the legal system can help keep you safe, please call our crisis line at 262-334-7298. Friends of Abused Families has an attorney on staff who may be able to help you.

The forms necessary to ask the court for a restraining order are available at Friends of Abused Families. You may also download them here: http://www.wicourts.gov/forms1/circuit.htm#civil

If your partner is hurting or threatening you, you may call the police. In Wisconsin, law enforcement has a mandatory arrest policy. When a police officer reasonably believes a person has committed a domestic abuse related crime, the officer must arrest that person.

In Washington County , every arrest for domestic violence results in a “charging conference.” This is a meeting between a victim of domestic violence and a representative of the District Attorney’s (DA) Office. You may attend the charging conference to discuss your safety and give your input to the DA’s office. However, a victim of a crime cannot press or drop charges. The DA’s office decides whether or not to charge an offender with a crime.

If you have a charging conference, you may call Friends of Abused Families and ask for a representative of the legal program to accompany and support you.

The legal system may be able to help you, but it can be difficult and overwhelming to navigate the system alone. Please call us if you need help.