Our Family Law and Domestic Violence Practice provides legal services to survivors of domestic violence throughout New York City. Our services focus on providing support to survivors as they re-build after abuse. We are the main provider of representation for survivors of domestic abuse in contested and uncontested divorces across the city. In contested divorces, our attorneys provide expert legal representation along with sensitive support and guidance throughout the arduous and often further traumatizing court process. We also provide specialist representation in family court for survivors seeking protective orders,  custody of their children and support. Our consumer debt attorneys advise and advocate for survivors of financial abuse to help them regain control of their finances and work toward economic independence. Our immigration attorneys handle the full spectrum of immigration applications and defenses for which survivors and their families are eligible .

In addition to our legal services expertise, we partner with community based organizations to provide assistance with crisis intervention, safety planning, and short- and long-term counseling. Our services assist survivors of violence in achieving stability, autonomy, and economic self-sufficiency as they move on with their lives.

Our Impact

Our staff has obtained over 4.3 million dollars in awards of child support, spousal support and distribution of marital property for our clients. These dollars represent countless numbers of clients who were kept off public assistance, retained their homes, and were better off for their future and the future of their children due to our advocacy.

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Ms. S came to us in 2018 for help with a divorce. She and her husband have four children and were married for over twenty years. During that time, the husband subjected her to physical and verbal abuse, sometimes in front of the children. Her husband alienated her from the children and turned them against her. The divorce was filed in late 2018. Two of the children were over 18, but her husband sought to delay the case and fought for custody of the remaining children, who were still minors.

Legal Aid negotiated a partial settlement of the custody aspect of the case, but the husband fired his lawyer and refused to cooperate in financial disclosure. These delays, along with the onset of the COVID pandemic, extended the case through 2023. At that time, the husband hired a new lawyer and filed a baseless motion attempting to regain custody of the one minor child left. He coached the child to allege that Ms. S mistreated her, and the child’s lawyer did not question the allegations. Legal Aid fought the motion vigorously and, thanks to the skepticism of the judge, the husband’s attempt failed. Faced with the failure of his motion and mounting legal fees, the husband settled the case, and the parties were divorced in 2025.