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Abstract: 

Battered women who litigate their child custody cases become familiar with the legal principles and processes that apply at the trial court level. The appellate process, launched after a trial court issues an adverse judgment, is an entirely different animal. As explained by author Margaret Drew, an attorney and law professor who is inarguably one of the country’s top experts on post-trial practices in cases involving DV, appellate proceedings present another round of expensive and stressful demands on litigants and thus may be impractical for many of these mothers. However, for the fortunate minority, filing an appeal may be the only avenue toward true justice for DV survivors. Ms. Drew’s extensive article ought to serve as the essential guide for maximizing the possibility of obtaining the remedies that these survivors deserve, but typically do not receive, from the legal system.

Keywords: Appeals as Lawyer Self-Care; Impact of Client Trauma on Testimony and Credibility; Post-Trial Process Fundamentals and Motions; Identifying Viable Appellate Issues; Amicus Support

Affiliations:  1: University of Massachusetts School of Law.