Page 27 - Delaware Lawyer - Spring 2023

and confidential support for survivors throughout Delaware. Located within all three Family Court buildings and funded to support survivors of intimate partner violence, the DVAP team is comprised of paid staff, volunteers and college interns. The advocates are not attorneys and do not give legal advice, but they are instrumental in providing survivors with important information and connecting them with resources so they can safely take next steps toward healing and rebuilding.
Helping Survivors Navigate the PFA process
Taking court action against an abusive partner can be a scary step for a sur vivor and knowing that victims are at greatest risk of being killed when they have taken steps to leave or terminate their relationship, it is also the most dangerous time. For that reason, safety is at the center of ever y interaction DVAP has with their clients. Advocates will collaborate with survivors to help them create
safety plans and connect them with resources to enhance those plans.
Civil Protection From Abuse (PFA) orders are often a legal remedy that some survivors will pursue, and DVAP advocates are readily available to help them through that process. After explaining the PFA and what it can and cannot provide, advocates will help petitioners fill out the neces- sary court forms, accompany them to hearings, connect them with resources and offer follow-up support. DVAP regularly refers their clients to Dela- ware Volunteer Legal Services and Community Legal Aid Society to connect sur vivors with valuable legal ser vices. Prior to the COV- ID-19 pandemic, DVAP coordinated a robust volunteer Attorney-in-Court program, where attorneys from the Delaware State Bar Association would volunteer to represent DVAP clients in PFA proceedings. DVAP is working to revitalize the volunteer attorney program in hopes of connecting even more survivors with vital legal representation.
Family Court receives and pro- cesses around 3,200 new petitions for PFA orders each year; and, on av- erage, DVAP assists about 1,400 of those petitioners. Prior to the pan- demic, DVAP had a vital volunteer program, comprised of compassion- ate individuals who provided critical hands-on support to their clients. Vol- unteers worked alongside paid staff, assisting clients and providing office coverage during the Court’s oper- ating hours. Volunteers came from various backgrounds and brought with them an array of skills and ex- perience, but the characteristic over- whelmingly shared by all volunteers was their desire to help others. Many of DVAP’s pre-COVID volunteers were retired professionals looking to meaningfully contribute to the
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