FVAP appeals California family law, civil, guardianship, and Hague Convention cases on behalf of survivors of domestic violence. They prioritize cases in which children are placed in dangerous situations by court orders regarding custody or unsupervised visitation. They will work with survivors of abuse who are either appellants or respondents and where the survivor does not have the funds to hire an appellate attorney. Please note that the order to be appealed must be less than 60 days old and they do not handle criminal or juvenile dependency cases.
Appeals
WomensLaw cannot vouch for the information or services provided by these organizations.
*CALIFORNIA ONLY* Family Violence Appellate Project ("FVAP")
*KENTUCKY ONLY* The Mary Byron Project Appellate Advocacy Project
The Appellate Advocacy Program uses skilled staff and volunteer attorneys to provide representation for survivors in appeals when relief has been denied to them or when relief was granted, but the abuser has filed an appeal. They handle appeals from many different types of cases that are related to intimate partner violence, including appeals from protective orders and custody orders where intimate partner violence is an issue.
*NEW YORK ONLY* NYLAG’s Domestic Violence Appellate Representation Project
New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) has a Domestic Violence Appellate Representation Project, which specializes in family law appeals on behalf of domestic violence victims and their children in NYC. Please note that NYLAG prefers referrals through a legal or social service agency.
Domestic Violence Legal Empowerment and Appeals Project (DV LEAP)
DV LEAP represents domestic violence survivors from any state in selected cases requiring an appeal or to defend against an appeal. They consider all kinds of DV-related appeals, including civil protection order issues, family law (custody, divorce, property, etc.) Hague Convention issues, and criminal issues (e.g., self-defense, admissibility of expert testimony, etc.). They sometimes provide friend-of-the-court (amicus) briefs in appeals if the party already has a lawyer. To request help, click here.