If you have been the victim of verbal domestic violence/abuse in Orlando, you need the services of the experienced domestic abuse attorneys at Orlando Family Team. For years we have been fighting for the rights of those suffering verbal abuse from an intimate partner or a member of their own household. We will work tirelessly to extricate you from the distressing situation and assist you in filing a lawsuit against the perpetrator. Contact us to discuss your case in confidence.
What is verbal domestic violence in Orlando?
While “violence” often indicates a physical attack, under Florida law, verbal domestic abuse can also be considered violent. Not only can verbal domestic abuse be demeaning and humiliating for a victim, but it can also threaten a victim’s sense of security.
Florida law defines assault as any act that threatens physical harm to a person, whether or not the aggressor follows through on the threat. Therefore, other examples of abusive behavior, like stalking, false imprisonment, and financial abuse, may not involve physical attacks.
Forms of Verbal Domestic Violence
While verbal abuse may consist of yelling, criticizing, name-calling, and threatening, it may also consist of giving the victim “the silent treatment,” refusing to talk to them or even recognize that they exist. The latter can be especially devastating to a child.
Another type of verbal domestic abuse is known as “gaslighting.” Gaslighting is a manipulative form of discourse in which victims are persuaded that their perceptions are inaccurate or their memories are false. Victims who experience gaslighting come to doubt their own judgment and sense of reality, making them even more vulnerable to further manipulation.
Who can be a defendant?
Although many associate the concept of domestic abuse with spousal or sexual relationships, people may be connected in a number of other ways to their abusers. Florida law recognizes all of the following as potential domestic abusers:
- Current spouses
- Former spouses
- Persons related by blood or marriage
- Individuals who live together presently as a family
- Individuals who lived together as a family previously
- Parents of a child in common (whether or not they have ever been married)
Domestic violence can also be committed against a third party in an effort to intimidate the primary target, (e.g. verbally abusing the child or parent of a spouse or ex-spouse). In any case, the state will prosecute a domestic abuse case regardless of whether the victim decides to press charges.
Fear of retaliation is extremely common with domestic violence–and with good cause. Therefore, whether the victim presses charges is not the deciding factor in an arrest. The state considers domestic abuse a criminal offense rather than a personal matter, meaning that charges can only be dropped by prosecutors with the court’s approval.
Why You Need Our Strong Verbal Domestic Abuse Attorneys
While verbal abuse can be a form of domestic violence, it tends to be harder to prove than physical attacks. Words do not leave visible injuries and are more open to interpretation. As your verbal domestic violence lawyers, we must prove that serious harm has come to you.
Since many people say things in anger that appear to threaten violence, it is essential to have an attorney who can prove that the threat in question had the intention to inflict harm and/or that there was a possible history of physical violence behind it.
This is why it is critical to have a powerful legal team at your side. We will do everything in our power to provide evidence from witnesses, previous police reports, and testimony of parties familiar with the relationship — friends, relatives, neighbors, teachers, counselors — to convince the court that your fear was appropriate and your claim of verbal violence was accurate.
Steps We Can Help You Take to Protect Yourself and Your Family
Our verbal domestic abuse attorneys will help you take the necessary proactive steps to keep the abuse you are experiencing from escalating, including:
- Obtaining a protective order against your abuser
- Legal separation
- Divorce
- Child custody proceedings
- Child custody modifications
- Identifying programs, resources, and support for domestic violence victims
Our first priority is keeping you and those you love safe.
Our Legal Team Can Also Defend You if You Have Been Wrongly Accused
As committed as we are to protecting defenseless victims of verbal domestic violence, we are equally committed to protecting defendants who have been wrongly accused. We are well aware that contested divorces and custody disputes too often involve erroneous charges of domestic abuse.
Being convicted of charges of domestic violence in Florida could result in penalties, including jail time, fines, a protective order against you, and mandated counseling. By state law, your license to carry a concealed firearm would also be suspended. Under federal law, you would no longer be able to possess or use a firearm. For all of these reasons, it’s crucial that you get in touch with our office promptly for sharp legal counsel.
Contact Our Experienced Verbal Domestic Violence Attorneys Today
Whichever side of a verbal domestic abuse case you’re on, we’re on your side. Orlando Family Team lawyers have impeccable credentials and a well-deserved reputation for both compassion and successful outcomes. Contact us now so we can help you get out of the difficult situation you’re in and help your world make sense again.
