Family Domestic Violence Increases Amid the Coronavirus Outbreak! Here are Resources for Help!
Forty-two states, Washington, DC, Guam, and Puerto Rico have issued stay-at-home orders, encouraging isolation to curb the spread of the coronavirus. About 95% of America’s population (306 million people) are now under a mandatory form of lockdown. As lock down quarantines are going into effect all around the world, “Intimate Terrorism”, a new term used by experts for Domestic Violence, is flourishing!
People are now practicing more social isolation within their homes with their families. If there is a domestic abuser living in the home, with the sense of losing control and powerlessness over the pandemic, the victims are at a very serious risk of domestic violence. This abuse predator will use the Coronavirus outbreak as a reason to make leaving the home impossible for everyone. The family will be under the control of the abuser and with the children now out of school, abuse to all family members could be shared and witnessed by the children.
Many victims usually try to seek help from outside services when the abuser is at work or not at the home, but with the enforced Stay-at-home restrictions, many domestic violence victims are now constantly in contact with their abuser. Another situation is the fear of the victim in meeting someone who has been exposed or has the coronavirus when getting medical care for injury experienced during domestic violence abuse.
If you, a family member, or friend is experiencing a Domestic Violence Situation during this Stay-At- Home Quarantine, please call the following emergency numbers for help in the Dallas-Ft. Worth Area:
Need Help in Dallas County? Please contact “Dallas Domestic Violence Task Force”: https://dallascityhall.com/government/citycouncil/district13/dvtf/Pages/default.aspx
Need Help in Collin County? https://www.plano.gov/896/Helpful-Links-Resources
Need Help in Denton County? https://dentoncounty.gov/Departments/District-Attorney/Divisions/Victims-Assistance-Division.aspx
Need Help in Tarrant County? https://access.tarrantcounty.com/en/sheriff/operations-bureau/criminal-investigations/victim-assistance.html
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline Immediately at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)
Nacol Law Firm P.C.
Dallas, Texas 75231
(972) 690-3333
Trends in Fathers Rights – Texas Family Law
Dallas Fathers Rights attorney, Mark Nacol of the Nacol Law Firm P.C., discusses Trends in Family Law regarding Texas Fathers Rights .
Hey Fathers! Beware of Assault and Family Violence
In modern times the District Attorney’s office in Dallas, Collin, and Tarrant County have a zero-tolerance policy on domestic violence towards women. Unfortunately, domestic violence occurs much to frequently in our society. Though helpful in certain situations, this Zero-Tolerance policy has the potential to be abused to gain leverage in a Child Custody proceeding.
A mere allegation, is usually sufficient for the District Attorney to file charges against a man, regardless of the proof. If there is an allegation of abuse reported to the dispatcher and a police officer is sent to a home, then one of the spouses will be heading to jail. If the spouse is a father, this can be detrimental in two ways. First, the arrest for Domestic Violence will open the father up to liability when pursing his rights during a custody battle. Second, a false allegation, tactically placed, may open up a second front on a father, forcing him to defend against the District Attorney’s office for a Class A Misdemeanor.
When a father is accused for domestic violence, he will have to explain this false allegation to the District Judge and furthermore if the Zero-Policy dictates that the District Attorney pursues the allegation, then the father will have to defend himself from the State.
The mere allegation of domestic violence has severe repercussions for fathers’ that are currently fighting a custody battle for their children. The best way to deter such behaviour is to:
- Be vigilant at all times and never visit your Ex-Spouse/girlfriend one on one;
- Never enter a situation to which your Ex-Spouse/girlfriend may claim domestic abuse;
- When picking up your child always have a third-party with you (mother, father, or friend) throughout the duration of the custody case;
- Use “family wizard” when communicating with your Ex-Spouse/girlfriend;
- If your Ex-Spouse/girlfriend threatens to make a false allegation write down the date, time, and location;
It is not healthy to be paranoid of your Ex-Spouse/girlfriend if the relationship is not high risk for domestic violence allegations. You should always attempt to co-parent and amicably resolve disputes with your Ex-Spouse/girlfriend for the betterment of the children. Having said that, there are situations and circumstances in which false allegations may be used to leverage one side during a custody suit. If a false allegation is filed with the District Attorney and you are a father do not expect to receive any sympathy from the District Attorney’s Office.
Julian Nacol
Father’s Rights Attorney
Nacol Law Firm PC
