Legal Services

The legal system can be intimidating for those experiencing intimate partner abuse. CORA’s Legal Information Line is here to help. Our trained attorneys can provide advice, information and referrals on criminal and non-criminal intimate partner abuse cases. They can offer assistance with understanding a victim’s role in the criminal process, restraining orders, child custody, divorce and more.

You can reach the Legal Information Line at 650-259-1855.

This court order prohibits your abusive partner from contacting you or coming near you-whether in person, over the phone, through email, text or social media, or via third parties. A restraining order can also include a “move-out order” that requires your abuser to move out of the home you share together. If you and your partner have children together, a restraining order can include custody, visitation and child support orders. It can even make sure you keep your pet. There is no fee to file for a restraining order.

Call CORA’s Legal Information Line – 650-259-1855 – to speak with our attorneys to determine if a restraining order is the right choice for you.

Because the court system can be challenging and overwhelming, CORA’s Court Accompaniment is available to support and provide information for intimate partner abuse survivors moving through the legal system. Survivors of intimate partner abuse are allowed to have a support person present when facing their abuser in court. CORA offers Court Accompaniment for this purpose. Specially trained volunteers can provide emotional support before, during and after hearings. They can help clients find their courtroom, understand the court’s orders and explain possible follow-up actions.