For victims of domestic violence, the actual separation from an abusive spouse is a dangerous time. What resources are available to help survivors plan a safe exit? What can we do to protect ourselves and our kids from further harm? And what legal protections exist to support those of us who are divorcing an abusive spouse?

Board Certified Family Law Specialist Lisa Angel is the President of Rosen Law Firm, a divorce law practice out of Raleigh, North Carolina. She has served as Chair of North Carolina’s Domestic Violence Commission and been named to Triangle’s list of Top 25 Women in Business. Lisa regularly helps domestic violence victims escape their abusers, and she is also the author of Smart Divorce: The End of a Marriage Isn’t the End of the World and 365 Divorce Meditations: Daily Lessons for the First Year of Your New Life.

On this episode of Divorce Dialogues, Lisa joins Katherine to define domestic violence, discussing the distinctions among physical, emotional and financial abuse. She explains why many men don’t identify abusive behavior as domestic violence and where victims of either gender can go for support in planning a safe way to exit. Listen in for Lisa’s advice for domestic violence survivors around issues of child custody and learn about the legal protections available to victims of abuse who file for divorce.

Topics Covered

The distinctions among physical, emotional and financial abuse

Trusting the victim when they know it’s time to leave their abusive spouse

Why men don’t report or even identify abusive behavior as domestic violence

What Lisa does to help judges see patterns of abuse when her client is a man

Lisa’s take on characterizing her clients as survivors vs. victims

Where to go for support in planning the safest way to exit an abusive relationship

Lisa’s advice for domestic violence survivors around child custody

Lisa’s concerns re: how the pandemic is affecting domestic violence

The legal protections available to victims of domestic violence filing for divorce

Connect with Lisa Angel

Rosen Law Firm: https://www.rosen.com/

Connect with Katherine Miller

The Center for Understanding Conflict: http://understandinginconflict.org/

Miller Law Group: https://westchesterfamilylaw.com/

Katherine on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kemiller1

The New Yorker’s Guide to Collaborative Divorce by Katherine Miller: https://www.amazon.com/New-Yorkers-Guide-Collaborative-Divorce/dp/0692496246

Email: [email protected]

Call (914) 738-7765

Resources

Smart Divorce: The End of a Marriage Isn’t the End of the World by Lee Rosen and Lisa Angel: https://www.amazon.com/Smart-Divorce-Marriage-Isnt-World-ebook/dp/B00KX7P5XM/

365 Divorce Meditations: Daily Lessons for the First Year of Your New Life by Lee Rosen and Lisa Angel: https://www.amazon.com/365-Divorce-Meditations-Daily-Lessons/dp/143925625X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394647621&sr=8-1&keywords=Lisa+Angel+divorce