Our clients have already suffered so much, and this crisis has not made things easier. As we began this stay at home order, we continued assisting members of our community in hopes to bring them some solace and a sense of reassurance.
I am a domestic violence advocate at Arab American Family Services working with victims of domestic violence. Before having to shelter home, I was working with a client on her divorce case, which was set to be finalized soon. This case has been ongoing for nearly 3 years, and it seemed like it would finally end and our client would be able to move forward.
With the stay at home order set in place and the widespread closure of courts, my client feared her case would be put off and pushed back until further notice. She feared after all this time and work, she would be lost in the shuffle and have to start all over again. She relayed that she has already been struggling back and forth with lawyers and court dates for two years and she asked “how much longer do I have to suffer? I don’t want my kids to grow up in court. This is has gone on too long but I will not give up”. This resonated with me because I was aware of all the abuse this client has endured at the hands of her abuser.
This client suffered through physical, financial, and emotional abuse for many years until she realized enough is enough. This realization came with the help of the AAFS domestic violence department, and included many sessions of counseling, empowerment, coaching her on her rights, and teaching her to put herself and her kids first. As her advocate, I educated her that domestic violence is a cycle that goes on and on, but AAFS we will learn to break and stop the cycle alongside her.
As the stay at home order was extended – I reached out to the lawyer on her case and asked what we can do to expedite or finalize this divorce. After many email exchanges, remote signatures, and endless phone calls, my client was able to finally obtain her divorce remotely!
This divorce was deemed one of a kind as it was not been done before. She received her finalized divorce judgment and is now following her child support payments through the state program. She expressed joy and relief at being free and being able to start her life again. Now she is enjoying her time at home with her two kids.
She hopes to go back to school in order to secure a job to provide for herself and her kids. As her advocate, I continue to follow up with my client to check on her wellbeing and provide her with any resources she may need. She feels safe knowing AAFS is there for her.
