Each year, millions of people are victimized by domestic violence. These victims are from every economic background, every ethnicity, both genders, and are both hetero and homosexual. This is a growing problem on which California has taken a serious stand. California’s domestic violence laws are among the toughest on offenders. The penalties are severe and often jeopardize one’s reputation, career, family and freedom.

Domestic abuse laws apply to intimate partners, even if they no longer remain together. Within the GLBT community, intimate partners are or were civilly united, are or were living together, are or were dating and are those who have children together.

When a true victim of intimate partner abuse makes the decision to leave his or her partner, physical safety becomes an even bigger concern than ever. If an abuser finds out that his or her partner and children, if any, are going to leave, the potential for serious bodily injury (and even death) is imminent. Abused lesbians and female bisexuals will have an easier time seeking safety in one of the many emergency shelters that are set up throughout the state than will an abused man. Even so, many shelters may not be sensitive to same sex domestic abuse and a female victim may not feel completely safe knowing that her abuser could also access the shelter. Abused gay or bisexual men, unfortunately, have even fewer shelter options to escape an abusive partner. Although not nearly as prevalent as the shelters that are available and supportive of heterosexual abuse, there are some limited shelters that are specific to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals and the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE can help an abused individual access them.

While these protections are an absolute must for a true DV victim, they act as yet another form of abuse to those individuals who have been falsely accused of being batterers and to the accused who are also abused by their partners. When an individual falsely accuses his or her partner of abuse or files a police report as an exertion of power against that partner, he or she is labeled the “victim” and the partner the “abuser.” The self-proclaimed “victim” is then able to seek shelter with the couple’s children and the “abuser” has no way of finding his or her family. Anyone who has been arrested for a domestic violence crime should immediately contact an attorney. Someone who has either been falsely accused of committing a domestic violence crime or someone who has been accused of a domestic violence crime who is also abused must immediately contact an attorney. The LGBT supportive, skilled criminal defense lawyers at the Kavinoky Law Firm have experience in handling every type of intimate partner violence case and have successfully defended countless individuals, treating each with compassion and respect.

The best thing that a gay or lesbian person involved in an abusive relationship can do is to contact an experienced domestic violence attorney who is sensitive to the needs of the GLBT community. The gay friendly attorneys at the Kavinoky Law Firm are available to help anyone involved in a relationship affected by domestic abuse. They will educate a D.V. victim about his or her legal rights and can help the individual file for a restraining order to obtain added protection. For the individual accused of I.P.V., they will ensure that their client receives exceptional representation from an attorney who is well equipped to successfully manage a same sex intimate partner abuse case. Contact them today for a free consultation.