Domestic Violence

Your home should be your safe haven. A place where you feel safe and are safe. If, however, you are a victim of domestic abuse or domestic violence, you may not feel safe in your home or even outside of your home. It can be very difficult to know where to turn for help and to identify yourself as a victim of domestic violence or a victim at all. The first step is simply picking up the phone and calling The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes, P.C. and knowing that all information that you share with us is strictly confidential and will never be shared with anyone without your permission. If you are ready to talk to an attorney about removing yourself from an abusive relationship or marriage, we are here to help. The attorneys at The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes provide the caring and compassionate service you need to help you get through any legal process, such as obtaining an order of protection, a divorce, or custody of your children.

What Is Domestic Abuse?

Domestic abuse involves more than just physical violence. While physical violence is often considered the most severe form of domestic abuse, psycholofical abuse can be just as damaging, dangerous and personally deblitating. Under the Illinois Violcence Act, domestic abuse is a crime for which you can seek an order of protection and it applies in a variety of situations.

Under Illinois law, any of the following actions may be considered abusive:

• Physical actions including hitting, pushing, shoving, or scratching
• Sexual abuse including unwanted touching and non-consensual sex
• Intimidation such as verbal threats and name calling
• Harassment such as stalking, repeatedly calling and sending texts, or showing up at your place of work
• Emotional abuse such as isolating the victim from their friends and family, gaslighting or manipulating the victim, controlling the victim by financial means and/or convincing the victim that they are at fault for the abuse

If you are concerned about your safety or the safety of your children, and are ready to speak to an experienced family law attorney about your concerns, contact The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes today to discuss your options. Our attorneys pride themselves on safeguarding everyone that is a victim of domestic violence. We care about your wellbeing and the wellbeing of your children and will help you with everything needed to obtain an order of protection in court. With all that may be going on in your life, the last thing that you should be concerned about is the legal process and the steps needed to present all of the evidence to the court and to make concise and strategical legal arguments to seek the protection that you and your children desperately need. Additionally, you may have concerns that seeking an order of protection may put you in further danger, however, at The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes we may be able to obtain an order of protection in court without your abuser even knowing.

How Does Domestic Abuse Affect a Divorce or Custody Case?

Although Illinois is what is called a “no fault” state, and generally fault (i.e. adultery and domestic violence) does not play a factor in a divorce case when deciding issues of property distribution or maintenance (formerly known as alimony). However, if the abuse directly impacted your income earning ability, then you may be entitled to a higher percentage of the total assets accumulated during the marriage.

The presence of emotional or physical abuse is a serious factor taken into consideration in child custody determinations. Family law courts will often deny “joint custody” (now referred to as the allocation of parental responsibilities) to abusive parents and will often only allow them to have supervised parenting time, where they will never be supervised by a supervisor and not directly alone with your children.

If you are considering a divorce or child custody matter that involves your abuser, it is critical that you contact the extremely knowledgable and experienced family law attorneys of The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes today to represent you and your children’s best interests.

Contact Us Today

For more information on how the reputable family law attorneys at The Law Office of Tiffany M. Hughes, P.C. can help you during this hard time whether it’s a divorce, child custody matter or seeking an order of protection in Cook, Kane, DuPage, Lake, Will, McHenry, and surrounding counties, contact us immeidately to schedule your complementary consultation today at 773-893-0228.