In a new study, it has been reported that two in five of all victims of domestic violence are in fact none. This study contradicts a widespread impression that only women are victims of domestic abuse in the United States.

In the study, which was put together by the men's rights campaign group Parity, it is asserted that men who are assaulted by their partners are often ignored by law enforcement. The studies numbers show that the number of men who are assaulted by their wives or girlfriends is much higher than most would think. 

Domestic Violence: The Male Perspective says, "Domestic violence is often seen as a female victim/male perpetrator problem, but the evidence demonstrates that this is a false picture."

Some of the data reveals that men made up about 40% of domestic violence victims from 2008 to 2009, which is quite significant. 

Have you been the victim of domestic violence in Los Angeles?  Get the help you need to put an end to the abuse by contacting our law office and speaking with a Los Angeles family law attorney.

Recently in Sacramento, it has been reported that Counties may raise fees on marriage licenses by up to $10. The increase is meant to help fund domestic violence shelters under a new bill that was sent to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger by the state Senate.

So far, Counties are ready collective $23 fee on all marriage licenses to fund domestic violence shelters.  If the new bill gets approved, county supervisors can increase the fee to $33.  Senator Leland Yee said the increase would offset a drop in state funding that has recently forced four domestic violence shelters to close.  His bill, SB662, was approved on a 21 to 13 vote. Yee is a Democrat from the city of San Francisco.

The Senate also sent the governor a second domestic violence bill, SB782, which would protect victims from retaliation if they are involved in a domestic abuse dispute and it passed with a vote of 22 to 14.

If you have been a victim of domestic violence, get the help you need by contacting a Los Angeles family law attorney today!

If you think domestic violence is not a serious problem in the U.S. - think again.  Domestic abuse is a very serious issue in our country and it adversely impacts the lives of countless people.  Below, our legal team has compiled some statistics to generate awareness:

§   In 2001, the National Domestic Violence Hotline reported that it had received 700,000 calls since 1996.

§  The National Institute of Justice estimates that over 503,000 women are stalked by their intimate partners in the U.S. on an annual basis.

§  A Commonwealth Fund survey showed that 31% of all American women were physically or sexually abused by an intimate partner at some point in their lives.

§  EAP Digest reported that violence is the cause for divorce for 22% of middle-class spouses.

§  The American Medical Association says that domestic violence results in 100,000 days of hospitalization and 30,000 ER visits annually.

If you have been abused by an intimate partner or family member, know that you have legal options.  One of the best things you can do is contact a Los Angeles family lawyer that represents domestic violence victims, like the lawyers at Claery & Green.

When involved in a custody, dissolution or any family law dispute, an individual faces the most personal and difficult moments in his or her life.   It is very important that my clients feel that their rights are being protected and that their concerns will be heard.  This is why I am committed to being an aggressive and zealous advocate for my clients.  I have much compassion for my clients who are struggling to cope with their emotionally demanding family issues, and I have made it my ongoing objective to be at my best when approaching my clients' goals.

Erica L. Grand

Attorney at Law

Claery & Green, LLP

The definition of domestic violence in California extends far beyond the most common understanding of a man physically abusing a woman. In California, any of the following actions are considered domestic violence when committed by a current or former spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend, person you have a child with, person you live(d) with, or person you are related to through blood or marriage:

- Causing or attempting to cause physical injury
- Sexual assault
- Causing fear that you or another person you know will be physically injured
- Molestation, attack, battery, or stalking
- Threats or harassment, either in person or via phone or email
- Destruction of personal property

Victims of domestic violence can obtain a domestic violence restraining order (DVRO), a civil court order that is signed by a judge. The DVRO serves to keep the abuser at a distance under penalty of law.

 If you are a victim of domestic violence and would like to obtain a DVRO, a Los Angeles family lawyer can help you.  Contact Claery & Green to receive the legal assistance you need for your family law matter.

Family law encompasses a wide variety of legal issues such as: child custody, support payments, divorce, domestic partnerships and restraining orders. As a family law attorney you are called upon to act on behalf of your client during what is often one the most troublesome times in their life. The stakes and emotions are extremely high and your rights must be protected.  

That is why my number one objective is to be a zealous advocate for my clients' rights. As a zealous advocate, it is my job to effectively communicate with my clients to develop the important facts, apprise them of the law, and keep them continuously updated about the status of their case. As a zealous advocate, I am ready to fight for my clients' rights until the very end.

The family law court system can be very frustrating. If you or a loved one is involved in the system, you need a zealous advocate to help you fight your way through.    

Kyle Puro, Attorney at Law
Claery & Green, LLP

Domestic violence, also known as intimate partner violence, refers to any act of violence within the context of family or intimate relationships. It occurs when one person causes psychological or physical harm to a current or former intimate partner, and it is the leading cause of injury to women in the US.

A woman is beaten at least every fifteen seconds in the United States, but accurate information on the extent of domestic violence is difficult to obtain because a large portion of abused women do not report their attackers. Domestic violence is not contained by geographic, educational, ethnic, racial, religious, or socioeconomic bounds. It occurs in teenage relationships and same-sex relationships in addition to adult heterosexual relationships.

One in four American women will be physically assaulted or raped by a current or former intimate partner at some point in their life. In fact, women are more likely to be attacked or killed by a male partner than by any other type of assailant. There are an estimated 2 million to 4 million assaults on women by partners in the US annually.

If you are suffering abuse at the hand of your partner, contact a Los Angeles family lawyer at Claery & Green who can help.

If you find yourself in an abusive relationship there are a number of things you can do and should do. First of all, safety is of utmost concern. If you feel you are in danger of physical harm, or if you feel your children are, then this should be your first priority. There are certain characteristics that define an abusive relationship. Generally, it can be characterized by one party seeking control or power over another.

If you are in a position where you feel unsafe, you need to start creating a plan for separating. Start looking for people or groups who can help you and provide support. This may be relatives, friends, community groups, your church, or social agencies that deal with abuse situations. It is a good idea to stay away from e-mails if you fear your abusive spouse might read them and get angered.

Once you are moved away safely, the next point of action would be to file for a restraining order and speak with an attorney about divorce or legal separation. 

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, contact Claery & Green today for an appointment with a dedicated  Los Angeles family law attorney .  

In an article written by Honorable Anne Kass, a learning experience begs to be heard. Anne Kass is a District Judge in the Second Judicial District State of New Mexico. In her eyes, the father involved in the following custody case should have been named "Father of the Year." Here is what occurred. The father involved in a custody battle happened to be a policeman and was divorced. On many occasions as part of his job, he would go out on domestic abuse calls. On one particular instance, he responded to a call where a husband and wife were in a heavy argument and the son was present, feeling quite obviously upset. The son asked the officer if he could do something to get them to just stop fighting. The officer, not knowing how else to calm the teenager, gave him his phone number and said he could call him when ever he needed a friend and upon occasion, the son did so.

One evening, the son called the officer but could not reach him. Later that same evening the officer was called to a home responding to a teenage suicide. It was the son and he left a note saying that he guessed the only way to get his parents to stop fighting was to kill himself.

The officers own court appearance for his custody case was scheduled just a few days after that event and in the words of Judge Kass, this is what happened. "He walked into the court proceeding and said, "I will agree to my son leaving New Mexico with his mother and coming back to see me during school breaks and holidays. This fight is over."

"This father gave his son the most loving and generous gift in the world. He gave his son peace. The cost of the gift to the father was enormous, not in money, but in time with his child, which is priceless and can never be replaced. If you are involved in a child custody case and need some expert help, contact a Los Angeles child custody lawyer at Claery & Green at 310-362-2273.

The following domestic violence incident involving a television actor sheds light on an important issue: that men can be victims of domestic violence. All too often men are painted as the perpetrated of domestic violence, but the truth is women are just as capable of abusing men as men are of abusing women.

It has been reported that the girlfriend of former CSI star Gary Dourdan has been arrested for an alleged domestic violence incident. Maria Asis del Alamo was taken into custody and charged with one count domestic battery after police responded to a domestic disturbance call and found Dourdan with multiple scratch marks on his body. She was later released on $20,000 bail.

Women and children are not the only victims of domestic violence. Men can also be the target of violence and abuse as well, but unfortunately, many men don’t step for forward to report the crime or seek the help they need.

The Cheshire Police Department in England actually found that the rate of domestic violence committed against men rose 9% between 2008 and 2009, and 36% percent from 2007 to 2009.

Although this statistic is from the UK, it is relevant to Californians because you can be sure there are thousands of men throughout the state who are subjected to violent, abuse, or mistreatment at the hands of their wife, partner, girlfriend, parent, sibling, or some other member of their household.

Victims of domestic violence often consider their situation hopeless. If you or a loved one is being abused by a spouse, girlfriend or boyfriend, parent, sibling, grandchild, or relative, you should know there are ways you can prevent this abuse from continuing to occur. One of the ways you can protect yourself from domestic violence is by filing for a restraining order.

Restraining orders specifically state which actions the abuser is prohibited from taking against the victim. For example, many restraining orders state the abuser is not to contact the victim at work, home, school, church, or any other place they typically frequent, and must remain a certain distance away from the victim at all times. A restraining order also prevents an abuser from making contact with the victim, whether in person, over the phone, through email, online, or via text message.  

Types of Restraining Orders

There are several different types of restraining orders, including:

• Emergency Protective Orders
• Domestic Violence Temporary Restraining Orders
• Criminal Protective Order
• Civil Harassment Order