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Opinion: Judi-Beth Atwood--Navigating the Legal System in Boulder County when your a Victim of DV

As you come out of Covid restrictions I hope you found safety. Congratulations on getting out. It’s going to be more difficult than just leaving, but my first word of advice to you is too stay focused on your children.
Typewriter opinion
Photo by Alexa Mazzarello on Unsplash

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

Dear Domestic Violence Victim,

As you come out of Covid restrictions I hope you found safety. Congratulations on getting out. It’s going to be more difficult than just leaving, but my first word of advice to you is too stay focused on your children. Secondly, we have lots of low hanging attorneys that love to support abusers equally they have a great deal of associates that know how to keep you and your abuser in family court, in my case 7 years and counting. Domestic Violence is big business and large profits to the attorneys. Instead of having one abuser be prepared to deal with his equally abusive attorney and the associates which include psychologist and therapist. They will favor the person with the money and in most cases its more than just one type of abuse, financial abuse and abusive attorneys is a recipe for disaster, but you can survive it I did. It’s a war one worth fighting when you’re doing what all protective parents are wired to do - protect your children.

Do not engage with your abuser after you leave, period. Insist on taking charge of your own divorce. If the abuser uses the mental health card and you provide an evaluation than exercise your constitutional rights Tell your attorney to get a copy of your abusers and his attorney mental health evaluation and when you pass your evaluation insist that the abuser pay for yours.

Financial abuse is not appropriately prosecuted by the Boulder DA's office. When your abuser and his attorney leave you with no resources don't kick yourself for the mess your left in because it's the DA's job to stop abuse.

Drip love and surround yourself and your children with as much love as you can while at war.

Sincerely,
Judi-Beth Atwood
Longmont CO 80501

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