For victims of domestic abuse, fighting back can be an uphill battle. It takes a tremendous amount of courage and willpower to stand up to an abuser, for one. Once this step is taken, the victim then has to deal with the inevitable denial and pushback from the ex.

Today, we want to spend some time talking about evidence-gathering strategies. Having to face down an abuser in court is difficult, but you can place yourself in a much better place by collecting the right type of evidence along the way.

Start a Journal with Dated Entries

It’s important to chronicle any incident, especially because it can help provide you with a more thorough assessment of your situation. Start a journal where you write down an entry for every incident, include the date, and add notes on what happened. Be as specific as possible and include things such as words that were said, specific actions taken by each party, and more. 

Supplement Entries with Digital Evidence

As abuse can come in many forms, abusers don’t often realize the extent of the trail that they leave behind. Be sure to capture things such as text messages, voicemails, and other communications between the both of you. Take pictures of any injuries and capture any footage when possible, provided you do so in a manner that is safe. 

Be sure to specify in journal whether you have related evidence to a given entry, as this will help corroborate your side of the story and prevent the ex from making baseless denials or accusations.

Back Up Evidence and Key Documents

Be very careful with how you store your journal and the evidence. You should assume that if your abuser gets ahold of this, he or she will do anything in their power to get rid of it.

We recommend multiple back ups, both on the cloud and on different forms of physical media. You should keep some of these back ups or other key evidence with those you trust, away from home where your abuser can find it.

Consult with a Qualified Divorce Attorney

These are just some of the strategies you can implement when ensuring that you’ve gathered the correct evidence that you need to get out. As you move towards divorce or other potential family law disputes, remember to consult with your own legal counsel, someone who is solely dedicated to protecting your interests.

Count on us at R & S Law Group, LLP and our decades of experience dealing with divorce, child custody issues, and other family law matters in CA. Give us a call at 925-271-0999 today to book a free initial consultation.