Domestic violence

If you find yourself as the victim of domestic violence, then our team of experienced Family law Guildford Surrey solicitors can help to protect you and your family. Every single person, irrespective of sex, colour, religion etc. has the right to live without fear for their safety from anyone.

What is domestic violence?

Domestic violence is not classed as just physical violence alone. Domestic violence is any behaviour, of which the purpose is, to gain power or control over a partner, spouse, girl/boyfriend or family member. Domestic violence is any incident, or multiple incidents, of controlling, threatening, violent, coercive (a pattern of intimidation,degradation, isolation and control with the use, or threat, of physical or sexual violence) or degrading behaviour which includes sexual violence. In the vast majority of cases this will be within a relationship environment and carried out by a current partner or by an ex-partner, but can also be perpetuated by family members or carers. Domestic abuse can also include, financial abuse, harassment or stalking, emotional abuse, or online/digital abuse. It is a sad statistic that women are far more likely to experience incidents of domestic abuse than men. Domestic abuse can also be family violence, with such abuse as forced marriage, female genital mutilation, or so called 'honour crimes' all of which are illegal in the UK. These types of abuse will often involve several perpetrators and make it difficult for the victim to report. Domestic violence can happen to anyone irrespective of their colour, religion, sexuality, class or race and anyone experiencing it is advised to seek help urgently from a Family law Guildford, everyone has the right to live without fear for their safety from anyone.

The four main areas of domestic abuse come under the following headings and if you can answer 'yes' to any of the questions then you may well be in an abusive relationship.

Emotional abuse, does your partner ever;
Accuse you of flirting?
Isolate you from your friends and family?
Put you down or belittle you?
Stop you from going out to work or study?
Tell you who you can/cannot see?
Tell you what you can/cannot wear?
Blame you for the abuse, or deny it is happening altogether?
Control YOUR money and not give you enough to purchase essential items?

Threats and intimidation, does your partner ever;
Harass or follow you?
Threaten to kill, hurt or maim you in some way?
Read your emails, texts,letters or any other correspondence?
Deliberately destroy things that belong to you?
Threaten to kill themselves, or your children?
Invades your personal space constantly, by standing over you etc?

Physical abuse, does your partner ever;
Physically restrain you in any way?
Throw things either at you, or in general?
Slap, punch or hit you?
Push you around physically?

Sexual abuse, does your partner ever;
Pressure you to have sex?
Hurt you during sex?
Make unwanted sexual demands?
Pressure you to have unsafe sex, i.e. not using protection?
Touch you in a way you do not want to be touched?

The above questions are not exhaustive and if you have ever felt afraid of your partner, or changed your behaviour because you are worried about how they will behave, then you may well be in an abusive relationship and should seek help. 

A crime survey for England and Wales (March 2017) found that whilst the majority of participants who took part in the survey expressed it was unacceptable to hit or slap a partner in any circumstances, a small minority still felt it was acceptable to do so, when in response to them either, having an affair/cheating on them, flirting with other people, or constant moaning/nagging.

If you find yourself as a victim of domestic violence or abuse, then our experienced team of Family lawyers here at Gregorian Emerson Family Law Solicitors can help to protect both you and your family. You will find us both sensitive and understanding when dealing with your situation. And as we have had many years of handling a wide range of domestic abuse cases over the years, you will find us best placed to help you to resolve your own personal situation as swiftly as possible for you. You do not need to go through this alone, we are here to help you.

Our team of Family law Guildford legal experts can help you in a number of ways. These can include:
Working with you to protect your children from harm.
Applying for a court order to stop a person coming near to or entering your home.
Applying to the court for an order to protect you from violence, the threat of violence, or harassment.
Arranging a divorce from an abusive or violent partner.
Resolving any financial issuesIf you do not wish to deal with your partner directly yourself, then we can act on your behalf and negotiate your financial affairs and your childcare arrangements for you.

We will always put YOU first and be on hand to help both you and your family to move forward in a safe environment. You do NOT need to suffer alone. Rest assured, all our dealings are completely confidential. We can also help put you in touch with other organisations, who specialise in domestic abuse and will be able to offer you guidance and support.

So for any Family law Guildford Surrey domestic violence or abuse questions you may have, please call us on 01483 826 470 and let us  help you TODAY.