From the age of 24, Donna had been involved in this abusive relationship. Over the years, the psychological and physical abuse had escalated; he started choking her and physically abusing the children, as well. She didn’t know where to turn for help. Living in a more rural area, she didn’t know where to go, and which agencies to call where she could speak to someone at a time when he was not around so it would be safe for her to talk.
Donna earned very little money, and her husband only paid for the bare necessities for her and the kids, despite his six-figure income and their multiple homes. With no access to income or family in the area to support her, Donna did not know where to turn for help.
Donna saw an article about PWJC’s Walk-In Legal Clinic and how they would answer the phone and offer free, legal guidance for victims of abuse. She called and couldn’t believe that a lawyer answered and offered to walk her through a face-to-face virtual consultation from a safe spot of her choosing. Sitting in her car in the parking lot of the local supermarket, Donna “met” with a PWJC attorney virtually and learned about her legal rights, options, and the potential consequences of a divorce. She was so relieved to finally get some answers, and not have to worry about what would have happened if her husband found out she was gone for over three hours to travel to White Plains. Donna said PJWC was "like a Godsend" and was so grateful for her attorneys, who were "her angels, her guardian angels."
