NASHVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Statistics show that 40 percent of Tennessee women and 32.5 percent of Tennessee men experience physical violence, rape or stalking in their lifetimes, according to The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
To protect against escalating violence, orders of protection are an important tools for those experiencing abuse.
Allison Cooley, an attorney for Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee offers the following advice for those in need of protection:
• Ask for help – There are resources like those provided by Legal Aid Society that can provide assistance to those in need. Ask about filing an order of protection and what it means to you and your abuser.
• Determine what order of protection (OP) you might need – You can file an order if you have fear of injury, stalking or sexual assault, depending on your situation
• Understand costs – A victim should never pay court costs unless a Judge makes a finding that the original petition was false at the time of filing. This means that even if you decide to dismisses the OP or you don’t show up for Court, you’ll have no court costs. If you win an OP, the law allows you to be awarded your attorney’s fees.
• If the abuser violates an OP – It can be extended for 5 years for the first violation, and up to 10 years for the second violation
• Abuser can be ordered to vacate a shared residence – In addition, they can be ordered to maintain rent on the shared residence, even though abuser was removed.
For more information or assistance, contact the Legal Aid Society of Middle TN at http://www.las.org/ or call toll-free at 1-800-238-1443.