Domestic Violence in the Digital Age: Understanding Technology-Facilitated Abuse

technology-facilitated abuse

What to Do If You Suspect Technology-Facilitated Abuse

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. It is a time to recognize the devastating impact domestic violence has on individuals and families – and to remind survivors that help is available. But domestic violence does not always happen behind a closed door.

Increasingly, technology has become another tool used to intimidate, monitor, threaten, isolate, and control a partner. This behavior, known as technology-facilitated abuse, can involve phones, social media, GPS trackers, and connected devices. It is an emerging concern in domestic violence and deserves much more attention.

The Numbers Are Difficult to Ignore:

Domestic violence remains an enormous problem in the United States.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s most recent National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey, more than 1 in 3 women (34%) – nearly 43.5 million women – have experienced contact sexual violence, physical violence, and/or stalking by an intimate partner during their lifetime.… View Full Article → “Domestic Violence in the Digital Age: Understanding Technology-Facilitated Abuse”

Dumped from the Island: When One Partner Moves Out Before Filing for Divorce

moving out before divorce in Ohio

Moving Out Before Divorce in Ohio: The Real Danger

In the Love Island villa, getting “dumped” is a brutal but straightforward process. A text arrives, and within minutes, the single Islander has packed their bags and is on a flight back home. There are no lease agreements, no mortgage paperwork, and no arguments over who keeps the furniture.

Outside the villa, “coupling up” usually involves a legally binding contract, whether it be a residential lease, a mortgage, or a prenuptial agreement. When a relationship breaks down and you’re considering moving out before divorce in Ohio, you can’t just yell “I got a text!” and pack your bags without a strategy.

If you’re exhausted by the conflict, craving privacy, or wondering if you should take your things and go, here is how Ohio family law handles the choice to move out before filing for divorce.

The House: Do You Lose Your Rights When Moving Out Before Divorce in Ohio?… View Full Article → “Dumped from the Island: When One Partner Moves Out Before Filing for Divorce”

Did You Know that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month?

domestic violence artemis center danger lethality assessment

Artemis Center in Dayton Provides Assistance to Victims of Domestic Violence

Recently Jane Keiffer, the executive Director of the Artemis Center in Dayton, shared an informative data sheet created by a past staff member about a “danger and lethality assessment” of cases from 2019-2022. Needless to say, Jane Keiffer and the Artemis Center do a phenomenal job assisting individuals who have been victimized by domestic violence. We are certainly lucky to have the Artemis Center in our community! Here is a link to the Artemis Center website.

What is a Danger and Lethality Assessment?

A “danger and lethality assessment” helps to evaluate the level of danger a victim of intimate partner violence is experiencing on a level-scale of 0 to 7. An Artemis advocate conducting the assessment goes through a 30-factor analysis to determine the level of danger and lethality a victim shows. A level of 0 is where there is no risk of future abuse either physical or sexual, while a level of 7 is where there is a high risk a homicide will occur.… View Full Article → “Did You Know that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month?”

Should Ohio Pass a New Law Establishing 50/50 Shared Parenting in Divorce Cases?

parenting time divorce

Ohio would join only Arkansas and Kentucky as states with a law establishing automatic equal shared parenting time.

Ohio House introduces HB14 to establish automatic 50-50 Child Custody, but is this in the best interest of the child?

A separation or divorce is a highly stressful and emotional experience for everyone involved, but for children, it can often be traumatic. Children are often left feeling shocked, angry, uncertain, or even guilty. These are all totally normal reactions. In response to these natural emotions, one of the best things parents and courts can do throughout divorce proceedings is consider the best interests of their children in regard to custody and residential parenting decisions.

In most jurisdictions, including Ohio, the “best interest” of the child standard is the basis for most custody decisions. The purpose of this standard is to safeguard a child’s mental, emotional, and physical well-being by ensuring the parents can provide the best upbringing for the child.… View Full Article → “Should Ohio Pass a New Law Establishing 50/50 Shared Parenting in Divorce Cases?”

Domestic Violence Cases Continue to Skyrocket!

domestic violence artemis center

Did You Know that October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month?

On September 21, 2022, I attended a Zoom seminar convened by Federal U.S. Chief Judge Algenon L. Marbey and U.S. District Judge Michael J. Newman, to provide an update on domestic violence cases in the Southern District of Ohio. They assembled an excellent panel for the seminar including Magistrate Jacquelin V. Gaines from the Montgomery County Domestic Relations Court; Jane Keiffer, the executive Director of the Artemis Center; Summer Hawks, the Executive Director of the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyer Project and Carl Anderson, a Senior Attorney with Legal Aid of Western Ohio.

They gave a re-cap about the Power Act, which was enacted on September 4, 2018, designed to promote pro bono legal services to empower survivors of domestic violence. In part, the Act states: “Research and studies have demonstrated that the provision of legal assistance to victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking reduces the probability of such violence or behavior reoccurring in the future and can help survivors move forward.”… View Full Article → “Domestic Violence Cases Continue to Skyrocket!”

Blast From The Past: The Value and Benefits of Signing a Consent Agreement in an Ohio Domestic Violence Case

Blast from the past 13 years Ohio Family Law Blog

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: This blog about Consent Agreement is as meaningful today as it was when we originally posted it on November 11, 2022! We have a ton of interesting articles in our archives of the Ohio Family Law Blog. Use our Search tool and enjoy a few oldie but goodies!

What is a Consent Agreement in a Civil Protection Order (CPO)?

A Consent agreement in a civil protection order occurs when the parties agree upon the terms of the protection order. If the parties are able to agree upon the terms of the protection order , then there is no need for a finding of domestic violence nor is there a place in the Consent Agreement form to include a finding of facts. In a Consent Agreement , the accused is not admitting or denying that an act of violence ever occurred. The accused is simply agreeing to follow the terms of the civil protection order.… View Full Article → “Blast From The Past: The Value and Benefits of Signing a Consent Agreement in an Ohio Domestic Violence Case”

If You Are in an Emotionally Abusive Marriage, Should You Stay Together for the Sake of the Kids?

domestic violence divorce

A Victim Of Domestic Violence and Have Kids? My Published Thoughts From A Practicing Divorce Lawyer Of Over 40 Years

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. There are many forms of domestic violence and it can be inflicted in countless ways! Here is a link to an excellent post on our Blog from last year including 10 Tips to Have an Informed Conversation about Domestic Violence, published by The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). https://ohiofamilylawblog.com/2020/10/03/domestic-violence-awareness-month/

Most parents want to do everything possible to protect their kids and for them to grow up healthy. The title to this blog article is an age-old debate topic that comes up in many initial divorce conferences. Daniel Pollack, a professor at the Wurzweiler School of Social Work at Yeshiva University, tackled this subject in an informative article just published on October 14, 2021, in the New York Law Journal. The author sought feedback from 2 mental health professionals and 4 experienced divorce lawyers from across the Country, including myself.… View Full Article → “If You Are in an Emotionally Abusive Marriage, Should You Stay Together for the Sake of the Kids?”

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