Women living below the poverty line who are victims of domestic violence often lack the means to obtain legal assistance to get out of abusive relationships. Men who are abusive in marriage often control the couple’s finances and are more likely to fight for custody of the children making the divorce process difficult. In fact, without legal support, many women return to their abusers.
A recently formed Illinois organization, Rise From the Ashes, is striving to change outcomes for low income women trapped in abusive marriages. Working with domestic violence shelters in DuPage, Kendall, Kane, and Will County in Illinois, Rise From the Ashes assists destitute clients leaving a physically or sexually abusive marriage who are committed to taking an active role in reshaping their lives. The non-profit organization provides emotional and legal support to victims of abuse allowing them to move forward.
Closer to home, the domestic violence shelter, A Safe Place, serving victims of abuse in Lake County, Illinois, provides safe housing and supportive counseling options to survivors of domestic abuse at no charge. Services are available to women and their children residing at A Safe Place, as well as to nonresidential clients. Our own Michael Strauss sits on the board of directors of A Safe Place and our law offices proudly sponsor the Annual 5K Safe Place Empower Run to help promote awareness of domestic violence and raise funds for services provided to survivors of abuse.
Source: The Chicago Tribune, “Group Works to Help Women Get Through Divorce”, by Cathy Janek, July 11, 2016.
