Being charged with domestic violence can be devastating. The government takes these matters seriously. In addition to protecting survivors, it implements severe punishment for offenders. Accordingly, if an intimate partner accuses you of it, you may go to jail, pay high fines, lose child custody, lose your job and so on.
You should be careful with every step you make when facing this charge. Here are four mistakes to avoid.
1. Contacting the other party
You may wish to contact the accuser to clarify any misunderstanding that may have led to the accusation. However, while you may believe smoothing things over and asking them to drop the case may be more manageable, it can create some issues. Anything you say can be used against you. Thus, you should not contact them or use a third party to do so.
2. Violating a restraining order
If the other party has a restraining order against you, it will be best to observe it. Violating a restraining order is an offense, which means you may have an additional case.
3. Discussing the case with others
It can be stressful to face a domestic violence charge alone. Thus, you may want to talk with your loved ones about it. However, you never know who the police will investigate when obtaining more information about the case. You could consider going to therapy to get the tools you need to stay calm.
4. Not taking the charge seriously
As mentioned before, domestic violence cases are serious. Therefore, you should approach your charge with the seriousness it deserves – obtain more information about it, gather evidence and know how to defend yourself.
The potential consequences of domestic violence allegations can be severe. If you are charged with this offense, you should get legal guidance to defend yourself.
