If your relationship begins to turn bitter and your significant other starts to act in a way that leads you to believe that they will file false domestic abuse charges against you, it is time to take notice. Domestic violence is a serious crime that can do severe damage to your reputation. Like any false claim against you, just because YOU know you are innocent doesn’t mean you will be guaranteed your freedom. The experts at Canterbury Law Group offer steps you can take to help limit any dangerous actions your accuser can take to sabotage you:
- Consult with a defense attorney that specializes in orders of protection help in Scottsdale. The right attorney can give you priceless information to help you better understand what your options are.
- Have a witness in the room when meeting with an ex. You may be forced to come into contact with them to pick up children or personal belongings. Make sure you have a witness present with you during all these activities, and if possible, do so in a public place. The last thing you need is a false allegation to arise after you met with your ex, and having a witness present is a great way to avoid this situation.
- Protect your valuables. If your accuser steals your driver’s license, birth certificate, car titles or money from you and then files charges against you, you may spend all of your time trying to get your stuff back rather than taking care of what needs to be done to ensure your freedom. A grave mistake that could cost you more than you thought possible.
- Warn family members about your concerns. If your accuser claims that you hurt them and/or your children, your closest family members may mistakenly ban you from their lives. If you keep them informed of your accuser’s erratic and troublesome behaviors, as well as your fears of what they may do, you may be able to prepare your family for the allegations and have them be more inclined to believe your side of the story.
- Change all of your login information. Bank accounts, computers, laptops, vehicle entrance, hard drives, cell phones and anything else you can think of that requires your password should be changed as soon as possible. There have been instances in which an accuser send messages from the defendant’s cell phone and then later accuses them of sending threatening messages. Don’t let this or anything similar happen to you by securing anything and everything that you can.
- If you are the abused, gather evidence. There are instances where the person who is accused of committing domestic abuse is actually the victim of physical and emotional abuse. If this is the case, gather as much evidence as you can without putting yourself in danger. If you feel that you are in any danger or are a victim of abuse now, contact your local abuse services to get immediate help.
Hopefully you’ll never have to experience false claims of domestic violence. However, if your dating situation turns crazy and you find yourself in this situation, we hope this helps!