Tackling Domestic Violence in Arizona

Q: Can a family lawyer help domestic violence victims?

It’s all downhill after the honeymoon. Sadly, that standard joke is a grim reality for many domestic violence victims.

Arizona family law attorneys often counsel domestic violence victims whose partners abuse them and/or their children.

In fact, domestic violence is an increasingly common reason couples divorce… if one of them doesn’t get killed first.

A former NFL player with an alleged “history of domestic violence” and a recent Arizona child kidnapping charge was recently arrested and reportedly charged with murder in the apparent stabbing death of his wife.

The only thing shorter than the couple’s 9-month marriage was the husband’s brief career with the Dallas Cowboys– which reportedly lasted only one preseason after which he was allegedly cut before the regular 1994 season began. He then played a few years in the Canadian Football League.

According to the victim’s family, the newlyweds who each had children from prior relationships, were living in Arizona when the victim moved out in September to escape alleged domestic violence. Shortly thereafter, the husband was reportedly charged with kidnapping his son from the school grounds and taking him to Utah where he was ultimately discovered and arrested.

The victim’s sister said that the victim was removing her personal items from the Arizona home when her husband unexpectedly arrived after his father posted his bail. The couple then, reportedly at the husband’s urging, returned to Utah– to a rental condominium there– to sort things out. According to the sister, things allegedly went bad when the victim said she was going to leave him.

The victim was reportedly found dead in bed with multiple stabbings to the throat after someone reported a “ruckus” in the room to police. The accused was reportedly outside crawling on the ground, flagging police down and once he had their attention, began “convulsing” and making “snow angel motions”. Police report that the victim put up a struggle for her life and that the murder weapon was a small, sharp knife she wore in a paracord bracelet.

If you or a loved one is a victim of domestic violence, you should contact the local police as well as a domestic violence attorney without delay. Unfortunately, many victims ignore warning signs even as the violence escalates with tragic results.

If your co-parent kidnaps and/or fails to return your child in accordance with established legal decision-making and parenting time terms, a family law attorney can seek a modification order from the Court, especially in an emergency situation. An “emergency” is defined as something that will result in immediate, irreparable physical or emotional harm to the children. 

If you or someone you love has been physically, verbally, or emotionally abused by their partner in Arizona, Cohen Family Law can help. Contact us today for a free consultation.

From our office in Phoenix, we’ve been helping families in transition throughout Arizona since 1982.