WomensLaw.org

WomensLaw.org supports victims of domestic violence and sexual assault through: 1) a national website of plain language, state-specific legal information; and 2) an Email Legal Hotline for personalized and ongoing help for victims and their advocates. Shelters around the country refer their clients to our services and The National Domestic Violence Hotline (telephone) refers all callers with legal questions to WomensLaw.org, as well as callers who prefer to communicate by email.

1. The Website. WomensLaw.org is a website providing plain-language legal information and support for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and dating violence. Because most of the relevant laws are state laws, information on the site is broken down by state and provided for all 50 states, Washington DC, Guam and the US Virgin Islands. (Other territories will be added.) WomensLaw.org also provides information that applies to victims nationwide. Each page on the website is written in ?plain language? so that victims can read it without the help of a lawyer. The website also encourages victims to reach out to local organizations, and comprehensive listings are included in the website. Spanish translations are provided for twelve states to date.

2. The Email Legal Hotline. Through a form email system developed with victim safety as a priority, victims and their friends, family and advocates request information and support about their particular situation. WomensLaw.org staff then respond to each person, providing anonymous support, referrals for local assistance, and answers to legal questions in both English and Spanish. Hotline responders do not provide advice, only information, and explain this carefully to each person. This Hotline is one of the most important ways to help break a victim?s isolation because it creates a first point of entry for people who are not yet ready to call a crisis line or go to a shelter. This is particularly powerful for those with immigration concerns who are often fearful of deportation and are reluctant to reach out for helreliable, and relevant legal information.

The increasing demand for WomensLaw.org?s services demonstrates a significant need in the community. Due to limited staff and technology, WomensLaw.org cannot handle the ever-increasing number of emails we receive and as a result, our Email Legal Hotline can no longer be open twenty-four hours a day. We estimate that the Email Legal Hotline would now receive more than 1,500 emails each month if we were able to keep it open every day. However, we are only able to answer approximately 500 emails in a given month, which leaves at least 1,000 individuals each month without critical legal assistance. WomensLaw.org is currently raising funds to implement an Email Legal Hotline improvement plan which, in its initial stages will allow the organization to begin to respond to more than 30,000 emails annually. With additional staffing, this technology will ultimately allow WomensLaw.org to handle all incoming emails.