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Abstract: 

In order to most effectively support DV survivors, attorneys must be client-centered, trauma-informed, and knowledgeable about the dynamics of domestic violence. Attorney Elizabeth Liu examines the importance of applying a client-centered, trauma-informed approach in their legal representation of survivors. This framework emphasizes listening and responding to clients not only with legal advice but with an overarching sense of respect and empathy for their clients’ subjective experiences. Such a stance views the client, rather than the attorney, as the expert on her own life and recognizes the implications of the fact that the survivor is the one who must live with the outcomes of the litigation. She urges attorneys to be apprised of the importance of safety planning, based on the well-known dangers that the separation period poses to the survivor and her children.

Keywords: Client-Centered Representation; Trauma-Informed Representation; Safety Planning; Civil Protection Orders; Guardians Ad Litem; Restorative Justice

Affiliations:  1: Attorney at Law.