Civil Legal Rights & Protections Content Topic Results

This guidance from the Social Security Administration, available in English and Spanish, reviews the process for victims of domestic violence to obtain a new social security number.

This document reviews key entitlements and qualifications for receiving social security benefits, including in the context of divorce or loss.

By providing U‐visa certifications and T visa declarations, law enforcement and prosecution officials add to their arsenal of crime fighting tools when immigrant victims feel safer coming forward to report crimes. This document provides a wide variety of background information on the U‐visa and T visa programs.

While courts may implement general court security best practices, domestic violence cases present uniquely dangerous risks towards courthouse safety, for both litigants and court staff. This document describes specific safety concerns with domestic violence cases, as well as practical strategies and lessons from the field for maintaining a secure courthouse environment.

Going to the courthouse and participating in hearings can be confusing and intimidating for anyone, but domestic violence survivors often face extra barriers. This checklist suggests strategies regarding safety while traveling to/from the courthouse, while inside the courthouse and courtroom, and during virtual hearings.

This toolkit from the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and Firearms, a project of the Battered Women's Justice Project, provides advocates with tools for engaging conversations, both locally and on the state level, on the impact of firearms on domestic violence victim-survivors, particularly during periods of wide-spread crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

This webpage from the National Immigrant Women's Advocacy Project features a variety of resources that may be helpful for law enforcement officials. Resources include information on working with limited English proficient victims, as well as forms of immigration relief such as U and T visas and VAWA self-petitions.

Immigrant survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, and human trafficking face unique challenges when accessing and maintaining safe housing, many of which have been exacerbated by COVID-19. In the October 2020 TA Question of the Month, authors clarify some misconceptions about immigrant survivors’ eligibility for housing and homeless assistance, as well as provide resources and tools with more detailed information supporting advocacy on behalf of immigrant survivors.

This document from the Delaware Domestic Violence Coordinating Council compiles information about each state’s laws and efforts to address the issue of teen dating violence.

Protective orders, also called restraining orders, protection orders, or injunctions depending on the state, can be an invaluable tool that survivors can utilize to obtain safety. NRCDV's September 2019 TA Question of the Month outlines some of the key ways in which protective orders can support survivors' safety.

For survivors with children, custody issues are often a major concern, but the majority of survivors seeking courts orders or court decisions through the family court do so without an attorney’s guidance. NRCDV's August 2019 TA Question of the Month explores how advocates can support survivors navigating custody cases without an attorney.

A coalition of national organizations gathered feedback from nearly six hundred advocates and attorneys from across the U.S., learning that many immigrant victims of domestic and sexual violence are now too afraid to call the police or go to court to get help. Advocates report that survivors have an increased fear of deportation, retaliation by their abusers, and separation from their children.