What To Do When You Are Falsely Accused of Domestic Violence?
Being accused of domestic violence is a serious charge that has life-long consequences. Although domestic violence is a serious societal problem, individuals might be wrongly accused of this crime. In many cases, there is a specific motivation behind these false accusations.
It may be that the person bringing these charges wants to find a drastic way out of a relationship. They may be fighting a child custody and consider that these false accusations will serve them to sway the judge in their favor. Maybe want to get their hands on some valuable property that would otherwise not be theirs, or they may simply want to get revenge on a spouse for whatever reason.
If this has happened to you and you are facing these worrisome charges, you need to hire a Miami domestic violence attorney as soon as possible. Trying to fight these unfair charges on your own may land you in deep waters that may affect your life for years to come.
What Impact Can These Accusations Have?
In general, the legal system favors women in these situations and believes that women are telling the truth. It is quite common for district attorneys and law enforcement officers to take the word of those making accusations of domestic violence or abuse. The law regarding domestic violence is usually biased against male domestic partners.
Facing an allegation of domestic violence may leave you with a charge of misdemeanor domestic violence even if your spouse does not have any physical injuries and may not display any signs of such abuse. However, the consequences of these charges are quite real and may include the loss of your job, limited future job prospects, you may lose visitation rights with your children. You may face jail time, a tarnished reputation, and a criminal record.
Are There Any Actions You Can Take to Protect Yourself Against These Accusations?
- Suppose your relationship has deteriorated to the point where you suspect that your partner or spouse is considering filing domestic violence charges against you. In that case, you may want to start by confiding in close family members and friends you can trust. You need to surround yourself with a network of people that trust you.
- If a restraining order has been issued against you, follow it to the letter. Avoid breaching its terms or conditions because this could land you in further trouble. Do not allow your accuser to convince you to talk or meet. They may later argue that it was you who initiated this contact. Keep a detailed record of any requests they make asking to meet or talk, whether it is through a text message, email, or phone call.
- Hire the services of an experienced domestic violence attorney. Tell them your story and your suspicion that these false accusations were made for specific reasons or out of spite. Your attorney will help you fight the allegations and prove they are false.
- Make sure to keep your story consistent. Avoid giving any contradictory statements or accounts. Closely follow your lawyer’s advice even if you want to do the opposite.
Your lawyer will build a strong case in your defense and fight to have the false charges against you dropped. Unfortunately, your accuser will likely not face any charges for making these false allegations. This is in part due to the fact that law enforcement officials never want to discourage women from filing a genuine domestic violence complaint.