It’s Friday night, and Chantelle is home on the couch watching TV with her 4-year-old asleep by her side. After a long day of taking care of her daughter, Abril, she gently carries her to her room and starts getting ready for bed. Suddenly, she hears someone outside trying to open her door. Her partner Jared had decided to party with his coworkers after work, and Chantelle can tell that Jared’s high on meth again. She refuses to let him in and tells him to sober up at a friend’s house. He begins hammering on the window of her apartment. “This is your last warning. I’m not playing this time. Open the door, or I’ll break it in and kill you and the kid.” Chantelle is in shock – shaking, sweating, panicking as she runs to her daughter’s bedroom to check on her. “You remember what happened the last time I got angry.” She remembers.
Chantelle is aware of what Jared’s capable of, but she doesn’t know how far he’s willing to go, and she can’t let the same thing or worse happen again – to herself or potentially to Abril. She makes a quick decision and bravely dials 911 on her cell phone. The dispatcher answers and she quietly asks for help. Minutes later, the police arrive, arrest Jared, and an Emergency Protective Order is issued to keep Jared away from Chantelle and her daughter. The officer tells Chantelle to call Radiant Futures and says she needs to get to safety right away, because someday soon Jared won’t be in jail and will know how to find her if she stays here.
Chantelle wastes no time and calls Radiant Futures’ Helpline the very next morning. That afternoon, Chantelle and Abril are placed in Radiant Future’s Safety Net program – a safe motel for a night. The following day, they are able to get into Radiant Futures’ emergency shelter program. After they get settled into their apartment at the shelter, Chantelle meets with a Legal Advocate. She is concerned because she recently signed a year-long lease for her apartment and is worried about the consequences of moving out early and having to break the lease. Her Legal Advocate reassures her that as a domestic violence survivor she has the right to break a lease early, with just two weeks’ notice.
After resolving the stress surrounding her rental situation, Chantelle decides that she wants to pursue a Domestic Violence Restraining Order through the family courts, so she can obtain more permanent legal protection for herself and her daughter.. Her Legal Advocate provides support through the process of preparing the court paperwork, filing the request for a restraining order with the local courthouse, and helping the sheriff locate Jared to have him served with the legal paperwork.
On the day of the court hearing, Chantelle is scared and worried because this is the first time she will face Jared since the incident, but her legal advocate is with her, in the court room, for emotional strength and support. Jared fails to show up to court, and the judge grants her a 5-year restraining order, with Abril as a protected party. Chantelle is relieved and realizes that she made the right decision, for both of them, and that finally, after 2 years of living in fear, she now experiences a true sense of freedom, and confidence in her ability to protect herself and her daughter.
Radiant Futures’ Legal Advocacy Program is designed to meet survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking where they’re at and provide one-on-one support navigating overwhelming court processes and legal procedures, whether at a restraining order hearing, or in an immigration matter arising from the abuse and trauma they experienced. We also support survivors in exercising their legal rights with their employers and landlords, and in applying for benefits and services that they qualify for because of the abuse and trauma they’ve experienced.
We can’t help survivors like Chantelle without your support. If you or someone you know can benefit from Radiant Futures’ legal advocacy services, please contact our 24-Hour Helpline at 877-531-5522 to get connected with a caring advocate who can provide support and navigation.