Statistics show that many people are in violent relationships where both partners abuse each other. If this is the case in your relationship, there are certain steps you should take to ensure your safety and to make sure your side of the story is known.

Your defense lawyer’s investigator can lawfully obtain evidence to help prove your side of the story. It is critical that you do NOT attempt to obtain this evidence on your own. This will only make a bad situation worse, and you risk being charged with attempting to dissuade a witness. Evidence can include witness statements about the incident, medical reports, dated pictures of your injuries, police reports, weapons used to harm you, pictures of your house after an episode, household objects torn or broken by your partner, calls made to 911 and certified copies of your partner’s criminal record. Since the evidence in this type of situation is usually based on “he said/she said,” the more documented evidence you have, the more likely your side of the story will be heard and believed.

If you are fearful for your own safety, your attorney can help you obtain an appropriate restraining order. You should not have to live in fear. If you get a restraining order against your partner and he or she violates that order, he or she may be arrested, charged with a crime and put in jail.