domestic violence courts in New York.

New York has implemented domestic violence courts that specialize in family issues to improve the treatment of both victims and offenders in domestic violence situations.  The role of the courts is to provide one judge to preside over one family’s different legal needs.  The reasoning for these courts is to provide current and accurate court decisions and meet the needs of families suffering from abuse.  This new court system provides programs to ensure the safety of the victims (wife and children primarily).  It also ensures programs for the offenders to gain treatment and possibly be reunited with their families.

New York’s new courts ensure that every victim is assigned an advocate and all legal matters either criminal or domestic are handled in a timely fashion.  This system also forces collaboration between the courts and child protective services to ensure that children remain safe and there are no conflicting court orders.  Overall, the domestic violence courts are a great inovation because they work to improve the safety of women and children.  They also incoporate numerous external resources to help improve family life. This is a positive step towards aiding victims.