Domestic violence can cause problems for everyone involved with it which can include problems during divorce. Anyone impacted by domestic violence should be familiar with the legal resources available to help them through it and everyone should also understand what is considered domestic violence.
What is considered domestic violence?
Domestic violence includes abuse or threats of abuse when those involved are in an intimate relationship. This may include a marriage relationship or domestic partnership, partners who are dating or used to date, partners who live together or used to live together or partners who have children together.
Examples of domestic violence include:
- Physical violence or attempts at physical violence;
- Sexual assault;
- Creating a reasonable fear that the partner will be seriously hurt;
- Behaviors including harassment, stalking, threatening or hitting the partner or
- Disturbing the partner’s peace or destroying their personal property
Physical abuse can take many forms and all of them can be troubling and serious. It can include hitting, kicking, shoving, pushing, pulling hair, punching, pinching, throwing items, scaring or following the partner or restricting their freedom of movement. It also includes abuse of family pets. Domestic abuse does not have to be physical and can be verbal, emotional or psychological. Domestic abuse may take many forms.
Domestic violence and divorce
Domestic violence can have an impact on divorce and there are different legal resources available to those impacted in different ways by domestic violence during the divorce process or otherwise. Familiarity with domestic violence, what it is considered and what can be done to help is important information to have.