If you have been a victim of domestic violence, you need to take action immediately to prevent further physical or emotional harm to yourself and your family, especially when there are children in the home. Haas McNeil & Associates, P.A. is a Family Law firm based in Raleigh, N.C. committed to helping individuals and families affected by domestic violence and a variety of other matters, including divorce, alimony, property division, child custody and child support.

Research has shown that domestic violence can occur in any home - it does not matter what the race, religion, gender, orientation, social status, or financial status might be.

Domestic violence can take a number of forms of abuse, including:

• Physical, such as slapping, punching, pulling of the hair or shoving.
• Sexual, such as forced or coerced sexual acts or behavior such as unwanted fondling or intercourse, or jokes and insults aimed at sexuality.
• Emotional, including threatening to hit, harm or use a weapon on another, telling others confidential information, attacks on self esteem, controlling or limiting another's behavior, repeated insults and interrogation.
• Economic, such as preventing the other person from getting or keeping a job, making the other person ask for money, giving the other person an allowance, taking the other person's money, and not letting the other person know about or have access to family income.

You can seek legal protection from acts of domestic violence done to you or your minor child by someone you have had a "personal relationship" with. This means you can seek protection from:

• Your spouse, or ex-spouse
• A person of the opposite sex with whom you live or used to live
• Someone you are related to, including parents, children, grandparents and grandchildren, over the age of 16
• Someone with whom you have a child in common
• A current or former household member
• Someone of the opposite sex whom you are dating or have dated

You may seek protection from a same-sex partner who has been a household member. However, judges do not always rule consistently in these cases.

Read North Carolina statutes regarding how Domestic Violence is defined.

Legal protection usually means a Domestic Violence Protective Order (DVPO), which is also called a restraining order, or a 50-B protection order. It is a court order which is signed by a judge and tells your abuser to stop the abuse or face serious legal consequences. It offers civil legal protection from domestic violence to both women and men victims.

Read North Carolina law regarding relief from Domestic Violence.

The courts issue two types of Domestic Violence Protection Orders: an Ex-Parte (emergency; without the other side being present) DPOV and a Final DPOV.

The Ex-Parte is a temporary order that protects the alleged victim and minor children until the domestic violence court hearing. Ex-Parte orders can be obtained 24 hours a day, seven days a week, without an attorney present, and there are no court fees for getting one.

Final DVPO are issued after a court hearing. Criminal charges are also an option in many cases.

Read more about how a DVPO can help.

The laws governing domestic violence are complex. The experienced family law attorneys of Haas McNeil & Associates, P.A. will guide you through the legal process. Commitment and responsiveness to our clients' needs are our top priorities. Please contact us at 1-866-783-9669, or via our online contact form, to get more information and schedule a consultation with one of our attorneys.

Please see our client resources page for State agencies and organizations assisting victims of Domestic Violence.