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Full-Text Articles in Family Law
Denying Choice Of Forum: An Interference By The Massachusetts Trial Court With Domestic Violence Victims' Rights, Margaret B. Drew, Marilu E. Gresens
Denying Choice Of Forum: An Interference By The Massachusetts Trial Court With Domestic Violence Victims' Rights, Margaret B. Drew, Marilu E. Gresens
Margaret B Drew
The article discusses the due process denials inherent in the Massachusetts scheme designed to defeat the victim's choice of forum for hearing on a civil protection order petition. The scheme would divert many protection orders to family court even though the statute in question permits filing and hearing of the petitions in district, superior and famiy courts. The diversion would be available whenever there is a related case filed in family court at the time that the petition for protection is filed. More alarmingly, the petition could be diverted to family court if a subsequent action was filed in the …
Do Ask And Do Tell: Rethinking The Lawyer's Duty To Warn In Domestic Violence Cases, Margaret B. Drew, Sarah Buel
Do Ask And Do Tell: Rethinking The Lawyer's Duty To Warn In Domestic Violence Cases, Margaret B. Drew, Sarah Buel
Margaret B Drew
Empirical data document that while domestic violence victims face high risk of recurring abuse, batterers’ lawyers may be privy to information that could avert further harm. Attorneys owe a duty of confidentiality to their clients that can be breached only in extraordinary circumstances, such as when counsel learns her client plans to commit a crime. To resolve the tension between client confidentiality and victim safety, this Article argues that, in the context of domestic violence cases, lawyers have an affirmative duty to (1) screen battering clients who have indicated a likelihood of harming others, (2) attempt to dissuade them from …
Domestic Violence And Lawyer Malpractice: Are We Revictimizing Our Clients?, Margaret B. Drew
Domestic Violence And Lawyer Malpractice: Are We Revictimizing Our Clients?, Margaret B. Drew
Margaret B Drew
Many family law attorneys are not qualified to represent survivors of domestic violence. Often the attorneys are not educated on the dynamics of domestic violence or the risks encountered by survivors as they navigate the family court system. Despite the availabilty of domestic violence text books, literature and empirical data, often attorneys fail to understand abuse amd ignore its consequences when recommending remedies for the abuser as well as the survivor client. In doling so, attorneys open themselves to potential malpractice claims. This articles explores some of the ways in which attorneys minimize the impact of abuse on the family …