Susan and Scott were married with two children, but their marriage was deteriorating. Susan decided she wanted a divorce. When Susan told Scott she did not want to be with him anymore, he argued with her. His screaming and verbal abuse escalated; Scott physically attacked Susan, strangling her and beating her. Their son heard his father attacking his mother and intervened to pull his father off his mother. Susan was able to call the police. The officers arrested Scott and Susan went to the hospital. She was left with a broken nose and bruises all over her face and body.
A victim advocate at the State Attorney’s Office referred Susan to Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida (CCLA) for assistance. The court granted Susan a Temporary Injunction. A final hearing was scheduled. However, Scott fled Broward County to avoid being served with the injunction, complicating the process.
Susan, along with her CCLA attorney, made several attempts to serve Scott but were unsuccessful. Eventually, Scott hired his own attorney for both the injunction and the criminal case. Our CCLA attorney requested the court order Scott’s attorney to accept service on his behalf, given his efforts to evade it. The judge agreed, ruling that the attorney would be served with the temporary injunction. This brought Susan great relief, allowing her to focus on preparing to face Scott in court and testify. She was nervous and scared.
As the final hearing approached, Susan expressed interest in avoiding a full hearing by negotiating a resolution. After weeks of discussion, an agreement was reached. Susan would receive an agreed Final Judgment of Injunction for Protection along with a temporary time-sharing plan and child support that met her needs. The court entered the Final Judgment, and Susan was thankful for the resolution and the representation provided by CCLA. With the injunction case resolved, Susan could finally move forward. We could turn our focus to the pending criminal case in which CCLA is enforcing Susan’s victim’s rights.
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