the essential guide - Texas Council on Family Violence

An Advocate’s Role…Assist with safety planning, including long-term safety planning for visitation exchanges, ifapplicable.Inform clients that if <strong>the</strong> violence is not disclosed to <strong>the</strong>ir attorney, <strong>the</strong> attorney may notbe able to get safe court orders. Client should always stay in communication with <strong>the</strong>irattorney.Provide general information about types of family law cases.Provide referrals for free or low-cost legal consultation or representation in family lawmatters.Provide accompaniment to court hearings.Outside of establishment within ano<strong>the</strong>r type of order, <strong>the</strong> Office of <strong>the</strong> Attorney General (OAG): ChildSupport Division provides child support services to parents. This includes parent locator services;paternity establishment; and establishment of an order that includes financial and medical support andaccess and visitation to <strong>the</strong> children, collection and enforcement services. The OAG Child SupportDivision will only enforce child support orders for which a parent has applied for <strong>the</strong>ir services. (Forexample, a parent that has only “registered” an order that was established as part of a divorce wouldneed to apply for services through <strong>the</strong> OAG in order to prompt enforcement.)It is important to note that access and visitation (custody) of <strong>the</strong> children will be established as a part ofan OAG child support order. Fur<strong>the</strong>r, <strong>the</strong> OAG child support process requires some interaction between<strong>the</strong> parents. If survivors need <strong>the</strong>ir address protected or fur<strong>the</strong>r safety precautions taken, <strong>the</strong>y shouldrequest a Family Violence Indicator on <strong>the</strong>ir case. For more information about <strong>the</strong> child support processand protections to victims of family violence who choose to pursue child support. For more information, visit www.getchildsupportsafely.orgNOTE: Cooperation with Child Support is mandatory for recipients of certain Public Benefits. However,victims of family violence can request <strong>the</strong> Family Violence Option and get a Good Cause Waiver to notparticipate if it would be dangerous to do so. More information about Good Cause Waivers and HHSCbenefits can be found in Chapter 4.Child Protective Services (CPS)In family violence cases where children are present, law enforcement is required to report to ChildProtective Services. This means that many domestic violence victims will have CPS involved in <strong>the</strong>ir livesat some point.THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE: AN INTRODUCTION TO ADVOCATING FOR SURVIVORS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE33 | P a g e