We are Domestic Violence Lawyers

If the screaming, yelling and threats have escalated to domestic violence, sexual assault and battery, you must remove yourself from the situation immediately and contact the Sherman Law Group at (678) 712-8561.  Safety for yourself and your children must be your top priority.  It is the top priority for us.

As divorce and family law attorneys, we have years of experience and knowledge to help victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence.  We understand that domestic violence cuts across all class, educational and income boundaries.  Domestic violence affects the rich, the poor and the middle-class.  And it affects the highly educated as well as the uneducated.  If you are a victim of any type family violence or spousal abuse, our lawyers can offer many vital services:

• Our attorneys can refer you to local agencies / authorities for placement in a safe environment.
• Our lawyers can file restraining orders and injunctions to protect the safety of you and your kids.
• We can start divorce proceedings and custody proceedings.
• We also defend clients against false and wrongful accusations of violence.

Stop the Family Violence Now

The statistics are stunning.  Spousal violence impacts nearly one in four women.  One in seven men and more than three million children are affected by domestic violence. Internationally, the World Health Organization has labeled domestic violence an important and chronic public health problem.  The World Health Organization has stated the addressing the issue requires the involvement of community, national and international organizations.

As a comprehensive, full-service law firm, we can certainly help you if you have been the victim of family violence, spousal abuse, or any other forms of domestic violence.  We can help you to be proactive and protect yourself and your family.  Our team approach to legal practice, and our knowledge of many areas of Georgia law, means that every member of our staff will be able to help you if you have questions.

False Allegations of Domestic Violence

There is a great amount of political pressure at all levels of government on prosecutors to appear tough on allegations involving domestic violence toward a spouse, significant other or co-parent.  This pressure has built-up over the past few decades, fueled by media reports of violent activity in households.  Movies and television shows have featured domestic violence of all types.  Movies such as “The Burning Bed,” “Bastard Out of Carolina,” “Lovelace,” “Sleeping with the Devil,” “A Cry For Help,” “The Tracy Thurman Story” and “Sleeping with the Enemy” have brought to the big (and small) screen themes of domestic violence.

Allegations of Spousal Abuse Are Taken Very Seriously

Hollywood movies with famous stars have brought an intense focus and awareness to family violence issues.  Domestic violence and its causes are studied at our country's leading colleges and universities, many of which offer multiple classes on the subject.  Sadly, leading politicians, actors and celebrities of all types have been recently charged with domestic violence.

The police and prosecutors, spurred on by politicians and special interest groups, have become extremely aggressive about pursuing allegations of domestic violence in Georgia.  Without a doubt, family violence against a spouse, significant other or anyone else is a very serious issue and should be a top priority for law enforcement.  But domestic violence allegations are among the most common to be contrived, exaggerated, manipulated or simply used for an improper, self-serving purpose.

Many Georgia domestic violence charges arise in the context of a relationship that is deteriorating or a child custody issue.  This is because of the strategic legal advantages that accrue to a person who can establish that the other party in their family law case has committed acts of spousal abuse.  Unfortunately, prosecutors can and often do vigorously pursue these cases even when the alleged victim has recanted their complaint, told the truth and no longer wishes to pursue criminal charges.

Domestic Violence Charges

Some common domestic violence situations include:

• Spousal abuse / battery
• Child abuse / aggravated battery to a child/cruelty to children
  Stalking
• Harassment (including telephone harassment and harassment using the Internet, texting and other technologies)
• Protective orders / restraining orders

Family Violence Has Serious Legal Consequences

Besides the criminal penalties under Georgia law for violent conduct, long-term consequences of a domestic violence conviction can include:

• Loss of certain U.S. & Georgia Constitutional rights if convicted of a felony
• A presumption by a court against joint custody of your minor children
• Difficulty obtaining employment or occupational and professional licenses
• Immigration consequences like removal or exclusion from entry to the U.S. for non-citizens and other immigration consequences
• Potential limits on your Second Amendment (gun ownership) rights
• Closely monitored or limited visitation of your children

Prosecutors Have Discretion

While domestic violence is a very serious issue, the broad scope of the relevant Georgia statutes gives an enormous amount of discretion to the prosecutor.  Prosecutors are entrusted to use their discretion to either charge or not to charge someone with domestic violence (the charge is often battery, either misdemeanor or felony).  Therefore you must retain experienced family violence attorneys once you are aware that you may be charged.  In family violence matters, because they are usually more complex than other violent crimes, the sooner you retain an attorney the better.

Because the Sherman Law Group has handled many domestic violence matters and defended numerous clients charged with battery and related charges, we recognize the value of early intervention which can prevent formal charges from being filed. There are strong legal presumptions in favor of spouses and parents in family law cases in Georgia that create an enormous incentive to “make up” false claims of domestic abuse.  We thoroughly investigate such motivations and aggressively conduct cross-examination to expose improper motivations and false testimony.

Family Violence Charges Can Stem From Revenge

Unfortunately, as we have all seen, ex-wives and jilted ex-girlfriends sometimes use false domestic violence allegations to try to exact revenge for real or simply imagined wrongs.  Of course, not all alleged perpetrators of family violence are men.  In fact, it is now more common than ever for women also to face allegations of abuse.  There has been a large increase in wives and girlfriends who are charged with family violence in Georgia.  Nationally, there have been high-profile cases where the woman is accused of family violence, including murder.  Sometimes drugs or alcohol or mental illness cause this “acting out” behavior.

We Handle All Domestic Violence Issues -- We Are Domestic Violence Lawyers

Because the Sherman Law Group has been representing clients in domestic violence cases for years, we understand how complex these matters can be.  Our experience with these cases is important to our success. Attorney William H. Sherman has served as a Senior Assistant County Attorney and he was appointed an Assistant Attorney General.  Attorney Valerie W. Sherman has gotten great experience serving as a Magistrate Judge and as an Assistant County Attorney.

Our Georgia domestic violence law firm, with offices in Roswell, GA and Cumming, GA offers a confidential consultation so that we can explain your legal rights. We invite you to contact us at (678) 712-8561 to learn how we can begin fighting for you.