If you were abused by your spouse or partner and you were afraid to press charges, it isn't too late. Just because you didn't file right when it happened, doesn't mean you don't have enough evidence to press charges.
You will want to schedule a consult with an attorney from a site like http://www.jdlarsonlaw.com that specializes in domestic abuse cases as quickly as possible, before evidence starts to disappear. There are a few things the lawyer will want to do right away, so this person can no longer hurt you or anyone else.
Look at the Evidence
Do you have pictures of the physical abuse that you can use in court? Are these pictures dated from a cell phone, or an automatic date setting on the camera? These will help your case. Do you have eye witnesses that saw the abuse that you suffered, or are there medical bills for treatment from the violence? Gather statements from people, and ask if they would be willing to be an eye witness.
You'll also want to save any phone messages, like a text message or voicemail, along with emails that the person sent you that were angry or threatening. If there is damage to your home or vehicle, also give pictures of the damage to the lawyer. With this information, the lawyer can get the case started.
File a No Contact Order
Right away the lawyer will want to file a no contact order. This means the person can't talk to you, call you, or try to communicate with you in any way. This is for your own safety, and this will let the person who abused you know that you are serious. This also lets the police and the courts know they are dangerous, if you have to make an emergency call because the person doesn't follow the order.
Press Charges
Your lawyer will then file the domestic assault charges, and your assaulter will have to go in front of a judge. With enough evidence, they will be prosecuted. They also may try to make a plea deal. Regardless of what they get charged with, you should be able to keep the no contact order in place.
If you have been abused or assaulted you can't ignore it or let it go. Hire a lawyer right away so you can get justice, and so the assaulter doesn't go on to hurt any other people without legal repercussions.
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