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WomensLaw Project
In 2010, WomensLaw.org became a project of NNEDV. WomensLaw.org was founded in February 2000 by a group of lawyers, teachers, advocates and web designers interested in seeing the power of the Internet work for more disadvantaged people and specifically for survivors of domestic violence. The mission of WomensLaw.org is to provide easy-to-understand legal information and resources to women living with or escaping domestic violence or sexual assault. By reaching out through the Internet, WomensLaw.org empowers women and girls to lead independent lives, free from abuse.
WomensLaw.org and NNEDV have worked closely together since 2000 to inform survivors of domestic violence about their legal rights and options. With a long history of partnering on technology safety, confidentiality and legal rights projects, the merger of WomensLaw.org and NNEDV formalized our working partnership.
- WomensLaw.org Website: The website provides over 6,000 pages of legal information written specifically for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The information, revised in accordance with annual legislative changes, is state-specific and written in plain language so that people can comprehend it without the help of a lawyer. The website also provides tips for working with lawyers and listings for telephone hotlines, local and state programs, court forms and law enforcement.
- Email Legal Hotline: The Email Legal Hotline is a safe, accessible service through which victims, friends, family and advocates can request personalized and anonymous support. Hotline advocates respond to each email, in either English or Spanish, tailoring responses to answer each person’s specific needs. The Hotline also supports advocates at local programs by answering their questions with timely, reliable and relevant legal information, helping them support the victims with whom they are working.
For more information or to access these resources, please visit WomensLaw.org.
Recent Project News:
Check out our highlights on changes and additions to WomensLaw.org between January and March 2013!
- WomensLaw added a question to the NY Divorce page in English and Spanish about getting spousal support before, during and after a divorce.
- Based on changes to Arizona's laws that took effect January 1, 2013, WomensLaw completely revised the information on the Arizona Custody page in both Spanish and English.
- Also on the Arizona Custody page, WomensLaw added new questions, including, "Can a parent who abuses drugs or alcohol get legal decision-making?" and "Can a parent who is a registered sex offender or who murdered the other parent get legal decision-making or parenting time?" as well as information on relocating out of state and non-relatives' ability to apply for visitation.
- WomensLaw translated the newly-revised NY Custody page into Spanish.
- Changes to KS law in 2012 allow for a protection from abuse order or a protection from stalking order to be extended for anywhere from 2 years to the lifetime of the abuser if certain conditions are met. Read about it on our updated KS question entitled How do I change or extend my order?
- We revised the information we have on custody in CO, which is known as allocation of parental responsibilites. You can read it here.
- Based on 2012 changes to MS law, we changed the information on our MS page under What can I do if the abuesr violates the order?
- Check out our recently revised Financial Abuse page in English and now in Spanish.
See what's new on WomensLaw.org in October 2012!
In October 2012, New York state launched the Order of Protection Notification System, which allows someone with a Family Court Order of Protection to be notified by e-mail, text, iPhone/iPad app, telephone, fax or web query, when law enforcement serves the respondent with the paperwork. For more information or to register, visit NY-Alert or the Sheriff's Institute.
- Read more about the service of process for restraining orders in New York on WomensLaw.org.
It is difficult to conceive of what one million people really means. How many nights looking at the sky would it take to see a million stars? How many flowers would it take to behold a million petals?
One million is the average number of people who visit WomensLaw.org each year. Most of them are women in violent relationships looking for legal information: how to file a restraining order, get custody of their children, find a lawyer, or report abuse to the police.
