Legal Domestic Abuse: 7 Signs Your Attorney Has a Vested Interest in Helping Your Opposition

Imagine rallying up the courage to leave an abusive partner and find yourself in a relationship with counsel in which you are the same as you were in relation to your partner...only difference is you’re in the seduction/promises phase of the relationship.nnFar too often we see women seek refuge through counsel and later awaken to the fact that this person is an extension of their abusive partner’s agenda to save face, get even, maintain control, etc.nnUnfortunately, many women in this position awaken to this fact well into their proceeding. And often, at this point, much damage has been done with respect to the domestic abuse survivor’s positioning in her own case.nnHere are some of the many signs your attorney is posturing to be an extension of the abuse you long to rid yourself of—the abuse that drove you to court in the first place.nn1) Your attorney discourages you from using resources to support you and your case that are outside of his/her direct network and control.nn2) You attorney fails to have knowledge of the basic facts of your case even though you have provided clear documentation to him/her for review.nn3) Your to-be-ex-partner knows vital aspects of your counsel’s strategic planning that impact your personal options before you do.nn4) When you encounter continued abuse to yourself during the course of the proceeding, your counsel is unwilling to bring specific violations before the court. nn5) Yet, these same kinds of violations were the very transgressions that sparked your counsel’s initial interest in your case.nn6) When court orders are not complied with, by your to-be-ex-partner, your counsel resists bringing contempt motions before the court.nn7) In your gut you realize you have put all your eggs in one basket that is not producing for you and you feel stuck, dependent, lost and confused.nnIf you recognize yourself in this picture, take a hard and honest look at the dynamics of abusive relationships, before this one spirals out of control.