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LGBTQ+ Resources

Support in Court

Legal Help

The first step to identifying a legal service referral may be to visit www.DELegalHelpLink.org. Legal services are available to victims/survivors in Delaware through Community Legal Aid Society, Inc. (CLASI),  Delaware Volunteer Legal Services (DVLS), and Legal Services Corporation of Delaware, Inc.

CLASI provides free legal services to:

  • People with disabilities, as Delaware’s Protection and Advocacy System
  • Older citizens (60 and over)
  • Victims of housing discrimination, under HUD’s Fair Housing Initiative Program
  • People living in poverty facing eviction, termination of subsidized housing, or reduction/denial/termination of public benefits
  • Victims of domestic violence
  • Immigrant victims of crime, abuse, and neglect

CLASI is committed to racial and ethnic fairness in the delivery of its services. CLASI has offices in Wilmington, Dover, and Georgetown.

DVLS provides services statewide and assists clients with problems relating to Protection from Abuse, divorce, and custody cases involving domestic violence, guardianships, housing, Landlord/Tenant, wills, government benefits, and homeownership. Service recipients, except for survivors of domestic violence, must meet federal poverty income standards (we cannot and do not deny survivors of domestic violence services due to income eligibility).  Additionally, DVLS provides services for expungements/pardons/FDIC waivers through the JP Morgan Chase Second Chances Career Pathways Project. 

Legal Services Corporation of Delaware (LSCD) provides legal advice and representation in the following areas:

·          Housing (private landlord/tenant matters including eviction, conditions issues, security deposits, lease issues)

·          Consumer Rights including debt collection defense

·          Unemployment benefits

·          Mortgage foreclosure defense

·          Bankruptcy (Chapter 7 and Chapter 13)

Clients must meet financial eligibility guidelines in order to qualify for our services.  LSCD handles only civil cases. Services are provided statewide, with offices in both Wilmington and Dover.

*Legal services provided by these organizations are subject to change.  Please contact them directly to determine eligibility and availability of services.

Mexican Consulate (Philadelphia) has a program called Initiative for Comprehensive Care for Women that assists Mexican nationals who are victims of domestic violence. Included within this program are attorneys who are available to help with a number of legal issues. The program has a 24-hour hotline - 215-266-3740. These services are available to Delaware residents. 

Court Advocacy

Going to court or getting a Protection from Abuse (PFA) can be scary and confusing.  CHILD, Inc.'s Domestic Violence Advocacy Program advocates can help!  These advocates are located in Family Court in all three counties in Delaware.  They can help people before, during, and after the PFA process.  Although the advocates are not attorneys and cannot provide legal advice, they may be able to connect victims with free or low cost attorneys.

Advocates can provide support during court hearings and offer referrals to other community resources.  They also provide crisis counseling and can help victims/survivors develop a plan to move forward safely.

New Castle County: 302-255-0420

Kent County: 302-672-1075

Sussex County: 302-856-5843

Capitol Police Domestic Violence Program

The Capitol Police Domestic Violence Program is designed to assist those that need to use Delaware Courts for any domestic-related issues (for example, a criminal trial as a witness, civil issues such as divorce, child custody or support, protection from abuse orders, or any other domestic issue.) If an individual is afraid and has been abused, threatened, harassed or intimidated, this program may be able to help, by providing a safe escort to and from the court.

Our Member Organizations

  • Alert! Computer use can be monitored.

    Computer Safety

    WARNING!

    If you are being stalked or abused, take steps to keep your abuser from knowing you are looking for help. Please use a safer computer, or call 911, one of Delaware's local hotlines at 302-762-6110 for New Castle County or 302-422-8058 for Kent & Sussex Counties , or the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 and TTY 1-800-787-3224.

    EMERGENCY "QUICK ESCAPE" BUTTON

    There is a red Quick Escape button in the lower right-hand corner of every page on this website.
    Click this button if your abuser enters the room while you are viewing this website. It will close this website and redirect your browser to a neutral page.

    Clean up Your Online Path

    Internet Safety

    Everything you do online is recorded. It is IMPOSSIBLE to clear your tracks completely. Your computer stores hundreds of bits of information about everything you do with your computer, including information about which websites you've visited, your passwords, and what your emails say. An abuser can easily track the websites you visit or read your email messages.

    If you suspect your activities are being monitored, they probably are. Abusers are often controlling and want to know your every move. You don’t need to be a computer programmer or have special skills to monitor someone’s computer activities – anyone can do it and there are many ways to monitor your activities - even without having direct access to your computer. Using a separate computer is best, but you can protect yourself at home by familiarizing yourself with processes like private browsing, deleting your browser history, clearing your cache and deleting cookies.

    You can be tracked

    Your abuser can track your online actions – there is nothing you can do to remove your tracks completely. If you try to erase your tracks, your abuser might become suspicious.
    If you think you might be in danger, use a computer at a public library, internet cafe or a trusted friend’s house. If your abuser sends you email, do not open it on those computers.

    If you need help now, call 911 or the
    New Castle County Domestic Violence Hotline: 302-762-6110
    Kent & Sussex County Domestic Violence Hotline: 302-422-8058
    Kent & Sussex County Bi-lingual Domestic Violence Hotline: 302-745-9874
    US National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233
    US National Sexual Assault Hotline 1-800-656-4673
    US National Teen Dating Violence Helpline 1-866-331-9474

    Email Safety

    Email is not a safe or confidential way to communicate.

    Sending email is like sending a postcard through the mail. Anyone along the path can read what it says. If you need to talk to someone about the danger or abuse in your life, if possible, please call a hotline instead.

    If you must use email to discuss your situation we suggest you use an account that your abuser doesn't know about. Set up a new account with a free email service like hotmail, yahoo, or gmail.

    Password Safety

    Be smart about passwords to keep your abuser out of your accounts.

    DO NOT use a name or password that contains any identifying information (no names, nicknames, initials, birthdates, zipcodes, etc.) Instead use a name and password that contains a random mix of letters, CAPITAL letters and numbers (for example, HJ3v67Tn) -

    Make sure you can remember the user name and password. If you must write it down somewhere, put it in a place your abuser is unlikely to find it.

    If the computer asks if you would like it to save your password or login information tell it NO.

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