You Are Not Alone

More than 10 million men and women experience sexual assault and domestic abuse each year, estimates the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). You are not alone and what you are going through is not your fault. Here is a list of resources for survivors.

National Hotlines
The National Domestic Violence Hotline
800-799-7233 (SAFE)
www.ndvh.org

National Sexual Assault Hotline
800-656-4673 (HOPE)
www.rainn.org

National Dating Abuse Helpline
866-331-9474
www.loveisrespect.org

Pathways to Safety International
833-723-3833 (833-SAFE-833) (international and toll-free)
www.pathwaystosafety.org

National Center for Victims of Crime
855-484-2846 (4-VICTIM)
www.victimsofcrime.org

The following is a list of culturally specific hotlines. 

Deaf Abused Women’s Network (DAWN)
email: hotline@deafdawn.org
202-559-5366 (video relay services)
www.deafdawn.org

National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities
a project of Casa de Esperanza
800-799-7233 (national)
651-646-5553 (Minnesota)
www.nationallatinonetwork.org

The National Immigrant Women’s Advocacy Project
202-274-4457
www.niwap.org

National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center

855-649-7299 (toll-free)
www.niwrc.org

Asian and Pacific Islander Institute on Domestic Violence
415-954-9988
www.apiidv.org

Committee Against Anti-Asian Violence (CAAAV)
212- 473-6485
www.caaav.org

Manavi
732-435-1414
www.manavi.org

Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community
651-331-6555
www.idvaac.org

The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community
800-799-7233
www.ujimacommunity.org

National LGBTQ Task Force
202-393-5177
www.thetaskforce.org

The Northwest Network of Bi, Trans, Lesbian & Gay Survivors of Abuse
206-568-7777
www.nwnetwork.org

Outside of calling a hotline, many survivors often need legal resources. While advocates can often connect you to an agency that provides legal services, here are some individuals you can contact directly.

Legal support American Bar Association Commission on Domestic Violence
202-662-1000
www.abanet.org/domviol

Battered Women’s Justice Project
800-903-0111
www.bwjp.org

Legal Momentum
212-925-6635
www.legalmomentum.org

WomensLaw.org
www.womenslaw.org

National Clearinghouse for the Defense of Battered Women
800-903-0111 x 3
www.ncdbw.org

Legal Network for Gender Equity
www.nwlc.org

Mental Health Talk/Text Support for Everyone

 

GET HELP NOW 

If you or someone you know is experiencing a medical emergency, poses an immediate threat to themselves or others, or is being hurt by someone, call 911 for immediate help.

 

CRISIS PHONE NUMBERS

 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 24/7

1-800-273-8255

Nacional de Prevención del Suicidio 24/7

1-888-628-9454

 

Crisis Support Services of Alameda County 24/7

1-800-309-2131

 

Youth & Family Services Counseling - Hayward Police Dept

M-Th 9am-7pm, Fri 9am-5:30pm

510-293-7048

 

Childhelp® Child Abuse Prevention 24/7

1-800-422-4453

 

National Domestic Violence Hotline 24/7

1-800-799-7233

 

Trevor Project 24/7 Crisis Line (LGBTQ+ youth)

1-866-488-7386

 

*Trans Lifeline 7am-2am

1-877-565-8860

*Trans and questioning folx can call and talk to a trans person

 

CRISIS TEXT LINES

 

Crisis Text Line 24/7

Text HOME to 741741

 

Crisis Text Line Para español 24/7

 Textea AYUDA al 741741

 

Alameda County Teen Text Line 

English: 4-11pm, all 7 days

Text SAFE to 20121 

Para español: 5pm-9pm, Martes - Viernes

Textea SEGURO al 20121

 

Trevor Project Textline 24/7

Text START to 678678

 

Trevor Chat 24/7 for instant messaging

California Has A Free Website for Legal Help

 LawHelpCA is California’s official and free legal resource.

LawHelpCA has been prepared for general information purposes only. It does not provide direct legal advice but can connect you to legal aid organizations and referral services. The resource has information about common legal issues, written by reputable sources on 16 general topics and over 140 specific subtopics. 

The information on LawHelpCA comes from Government agencies, Legal aid organizations, California courts, and Non-profit organizations.

Surveillance Self-Defense

The Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit defending digital privacy and free speech, has developed online guides to protect you from online spying.

Surveillance Self-Defense includes tips and tools for how to have safer online communications including how to keep your passwords safe, encrypt your private communications, protect your online devices from hackers, avoid phishing attacks, and how to browse online anonymously.

Resources for Parents from California Courts

Parenting Resources

Find about resources that may be available in your community to help you in parenting your children during your separation.

Limited Scope Representation and Legal Technology

According to Sarah Castelhano Cassady's article, The Changing Landscape of California’s Legal Practice and Revisions to the Rules of Professional Conduct. How Limited Scope Representation and the Growth of Technology in the Legal Field Just May Jump Start Access for Underrepresented Californians, over the past thirty years, access to legal services in California and across the United States has sharply declined. "While corporate entities continue to benefit from legal services, and have in fact increased their retention of legal services over time, the representation of individuals in legal disputes has declined, leaving California courts overwhelmed with historically high numbers of self-represented parties."

According to a study commissioned by the State Bar, legal services access could be improved by attorneys entering the "gig economy" to connect with clients. A cost-saving benefit to clients is to obtain discrete services from an attorney that is tailored to the client's needs as opposed to the expense of full-service representation by an attorney. 

Under the model of "unbundling" services (called "limited scope representation"), attorneys may offer services such as document preparation, legal research, or the drafting and filing of a complaint (as many Superior Courts in California permit or even require electronic filing) virtually from any location. And clients would be able to work with attorneys from their own home at their leisure.

To facilitate limited scope representation, the State Bar adopted a new Rule 1.2 of the Rules of Professional Conduct. According to Rule 1.2, the attorney may provide limited scope or "unbundled" services if: (1) the limited scope representation of the client is reasonable under the circumstances; (2) it is not otherwise prohibited; and (3) the client gives informed consent.

An attorney still has a duty to meet competency requirements and must follow other requirements according to the Rules (acting with diligence, appropriate skill and education, limitations on business transactions with clients, restrictions on an attorney's representation after forming a client relationship, etc.).

Under my own practice, limited scope representations make up close to 75% of my clients, and when a prospective client is looking for legal services, learning the cost to prepare a legal document will be $400 sounds much less alarming than hearing $200 per hour. Generally, with limited scope representation I am able to estimate the costs of representation to receive fair payment for my work, and my clients know up front the total fee for the work they need.

Families Change

Families Change is a website of resources developed by the California Courts to help parents, teens, and children cope with separation and divorce. The site contains free guides and courses that help parents make decisions that are in the best interests of their children.