Should You Defend Your Domestic Violence Charges?

Domestic Violence Lawyer

Domestic violence charges, while not a conviction, are still very serious. You may have anxiety until your court date because a domestic violence conviction can mean problems if you want child custody, if you want to work in a certain job, or if you want to adopt children. When someone accuses you of domestic violence, one of the first things you will want to do is seek help from an attorney who specializes in these charges and can help you with your case. You may be wondering if you even need an attorney to help with your defense. When considering an attorney, it is important to weigh the possible outcomes if you were to be convicted of domestic violence.

What kinds of defenses are there to domestic violence? 

When you are working with an attorney to defend yourself against domestic violence charges, it is important to remember that the burden of proof is not on you. It is on the prosecution. When you work with a lawyer, like a nearby domestic violence lawyer from a law firm like The Law Office of Daniel J. Wright, they will take the time to listen to what happened and work with you to gather the evidence necessary to defend yourself. There are many different defenses to domestic violence, including: 

  • You are falsely accused. Unfortunately, false accusations do happen and when this is the case, you want to present evidence showing that the person accusing you may have a vendetta against you or may have something to gain by falsely accusing you (this happens often with child custody cases).
  • You were physically defending yourself. If you or someone else in your home was put in danger by another family member and you used force to defend yourself, then this could be a legitimate defense. It is important to remember that there is a difference between using reasonable force and escalating the amount of force that you use. 
  • The evidence is not enough. There may be certain cases where the prosecution has evidence but it is flimsy at best. You can count on your lawyer to argue against evidence that does not have enough weight and legitimate evidence being used against you. 

Get Legal Help For Your Domestic Violence Charges

If you are worried about domestic violence charges and how they could affect your life, consider reaching out to an attorney you can trust.