October serves as Domestic Violence Awareness Month

In California and throughout the rest of the nation, families in transition have to cope with a variety of difficult issues. These often heated family issues can sometimes boil over into extreme disagreement, drawn-out conflict or even verbal or physical abuse. In such situations an adult family member can obtain valuable guidance from an Orange County family lawyer experienced in domestic violence cases.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month; all too often, the misconceptions surrounding domestic violence overshadow the fact that domestic violence is a very real problem that can affect any type of California family. Every minute, 20 individuals may be victims of domestic violence. It may surprise some people that one out of every four women in America have been victims of physical violence from a partner, while one out of every seven men have experienced the same. However, only about a quarter of domestic violence physical attacks against women are reported to law enforcement.

Obtaining legal help is key to moving forward from a domestic violence situation. Law enforcement officers and many lawyers are skilled in navigating the legal system and protecting the rights of victims. It may be helpful for victims to know that domestic violence can come in many different forms, but no one is immune to it or its effects. Intimate partner violence can happen to a person regardless of that individual's marital status, relationship history, sexual orientation, age, race or religion. However, anyone can obtain help if they are aware of the appropriate resources.

Visiting a domestic violence attorney can prove reassuring to victims of family violence. A victim can learn more about how to obtain a protective order, the different types of protective orders, how to start resolving a heated divorce or custody dispute and how to make sure one's children are protected throughout the process. While domestic violence can happen to anybody, it doesn't have to continue affecting victims in Southern California.