You are suffering. Worse, you are suffering because of the actions of the person who was supposed to love and protect you. It is a situation that you wouldn’t wish on your worst enemy, but it is your reality. You may be embarrassed or scared to come forward. You may be worried about what will happen if you file for divorce.

The uncertainty can add to your stress and unhappiness. Accordingly, we want to straighten out some commonly believed myths about domestic violence in Washington State and we want to assure you that help is available for you.

3 Things That Just Aren’t True

As you work toward getting out of an abusive relationship, it is important to know that:

  • Domestic violence is not just a problem for low income, poorly educated couples. A recent Norwegian study found that women who earned more than their parents, or who completed a higher level of education, were more likely to be victims of domestic abuse. Additionally, women who earned the majority of the household income may be more likely to be victims of domestic abuse.
  • Women are not the only victims of domestic abuse. Men can also be victims of domestic abuse. This is true both for homosexual and heterosexual couples.
  • Domestic violence is relevant and important—even if it didn’t happen yesterday. Whether it happened once, or it was a pattern, you should talk to your divorce lawyer about the abuse and about how it may be relevant to your case.

Most importantly, you should know that there is no shame in being a victim and that you are not alone.

Get the Help You Deserve If You’ve Been the Victim of Domestic Violence in Washington State

You deserve all the help that you can get. You deserve to be able to rebuild your life and to protect your children. You deserve to know your rights and to know that someone is fighting hard to help you, learn about more myths that we have debunked.

If you have been the victim of domestic abuse in Washington State then we encourage you to download a copy of one of our FREE books, The Savvy Woman’s Guide to Divorce in Washington or The Thinking Man’s Guide to Divorce in Washington and to contact us today for a confidential consultation.

Molly B. Kenny
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Divorce and Child Custody Attorney Serving Bellevue and Seattle Washington