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WomensLaw Project

In 2010, WomensLaw.org became a project of NNEDV. WomensLaw.org was founded in February 2000 by a group of lawyers, teachers, advocates and web designers interested in seeing the power of the Internet work for more disadvantaged people and specifically for survivors of domestic violence. The mission of WomensLaw.org is to provide easy-to-understand legal information and resources to women living with or escaping domestic violence or sexual assault. By reaching out through the Internet, WomensLaw.org empowers women and girls to lead independent lives, free from abuse.
WomensLaw.org and NNEDV have worked closely together since 2000 to inform survivors of domestic violence about their legal rights and options. With a long history of partnering on technology safety, confidentiality and legal rights projects, the merger of WomensLaw.org and NNEDV formalized our working partnership.
- WomensLaw.org Website: The website provides over 6,000 pages of legal information written specifically for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. The information, revised in accordance with annual legislative changes, is state-specific and written in plain language so that people can comprehend it without the help of a lawyer. The website also provides tips for working with lawyers and listings for telephone hotlines, local and state programs, court forms and law enforcement.
- Email Legal Hotline: The Email Legal Hotline is a safe, accessible service through which victims, friends, family and advocates can request personalized and anonymous support. Hotline advocates respond to each email, in either English or Spanish, tailoring responses to answer each person’s specific needs. The Hotline also supports advocates at local programs by answering their questions with timely, reliable and relevant legal information, helping them support the victims with whom they are working.
For more information or to access these resources, please visit WomensLaw.org.
Recent Project News:
WomensLaw's Legal Director, Stacey Sarver, was featured in her law school's newsletter. Read some excerpts from the article where she talks about her work with NNEDV and the WomensLaw Project:
Stacey Sarver is the Senior Attorney at the National Network to End Domestic Violence and Legal Director of WomensLaw.org, a project of NNEDV.
Stacey explains that the mission of WomensLaw.org is to provide easy-to-understand legal information and resources to women living with or escaping domestic violence.
In VA, a new law, passed in 2010, now allows Protective Orders for Family Abuse to be renewed. You can file a "Motion requesting a hearing to extend the order." This must be filed before your protective order expires. Proceedings to extend a protective order are supposed to be given high priority by the court. If you were a member of the respondent's family or household at the time the initial protective order was issued, the court may extend your protective order for a period of up to two years to protect the health and safety of the you or your current family or household member(s). You can file to extend your order more than once.

