Safety-Planning-for-Attorneys-Template - 05-16

Aug 31, 2026

Upload by Miles

Safety Planning with Domestic Violence Survivors Template is an attorney-focused guidance on conducting an active, risk-based safety planning process with domestic violence survivors. It explains how legal actions can affect survivor and child safety and emphasizes drafting safer court orders, including detailed parenting-related provisions and enforcement parameters. The handout provides general safety planning tips, discusses coercive control and related homicide risk considerations, and outlines common safety risks such as separation violence and stalking, with practical steps attorneys can take.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryForms

FormatDOCX

Pages14

Reading Time5 min

AccessFree to download

General Safety Planning Tips

Coercive Control

How coercive control affects safety planning

Common Safety Risks that Attorneys Can Address

Separation Violence

Stalking / Monitoring

Safety Planning with Domestic Violence Survivors Template “As an attorney I feel that I have a unique role in safety planning with my clients. It is important to be aware of how legal actions can affect survivor safety. But more than that, I hope to draft legal orders with safety of the survivor and children in mind so that, long after my involvement in the case has ended, the survivor has a built-in safety mechanism.” - A family law attorney Safety planning refers to an active process of identifying and mitigating risks to safety. It is not just a checklist or a form. As an attorney, you have an important opportunity to safety plan with domestic violence survivors to help them avoid additional harm. This handout will cover how to: Recognize and mitigate safety risks; Develop safer court orders including parenting plans; and Connect to domestic violence advocates for in-depth safety planning and consultation You are ideally situated to help survivors improve their safety for many reasons including: You may be the first professional survivors contact when they are contemplating a change that may put them at risk (see HYPERLINK \l "SeparationViolence" Separation Violence). Some survivors may not be aware that taking legal action can put them at greater risk in the short-term even if it benefits them in the long-term. The legal documents you draft and the steps you take when representing or advising survivors can directly affect their safety. You can connect survivors to a domestic violence advocacy program to further improve their safety. By integrating basic safety planning considerations into your legal practice, you can really make a difference in the safety of survivors and their children. General Safety Planning Tips Keep in mind that survivors are good judges of the risks they face. Ask them about their biggest safety concerns. Survivors are experts on what will work to improve their safety and what will trigger their partners. Ask them what has worked to keep them safe so far. Be clear about what you can and cannot do regarding their safety. Suggest that survivors call 911, if they are facing an immediate threat. Be aware that some survivors do not consider law enforcement assistance to be a viable option for them, particularly if the survivor is part of a marginalized community. Coercive Control Domestic violence is about coercive control. Coercive control is about exploitation, deprivation, and regulation. All of the safety risks identified below are forms of coercive control. As you safety plan with survivors, keep in mind that highly controlling abusers are more likely to kill their partners. While not all survivors face the risk of homicide, coercive control can take a serious toll on survivors’ emotional and physical wellbeing and that of their children. People who are abusive look for opportunities to maintain or regain their coercive control. For example, they are likely to exploit any ambiguities or omissions in a court order. The more that you can define the parameters of any court order, the more successful you will be in mitigating the abusive partner’s attempts to coercively control the survivor. Define clearly and specifically: All provisions in a court order (visitation, child exchanges, decision-making, child support enforcement, etc.) Consequences of non-compliance including documentation and enforcement (e.g., if a limited party commits future acts of domestic violence, then their residential time is suspended or reduced); and What is supposed to happen if unexpected obstacles occur? For example, what happens if a party cannot meet at the exchange location or is late? Common Safety Risks that Attorneys Can Address Below are some common risks to survivors’ emotional and physical wellbeing, and steps you can take to mitigate those risks. Some of the categories have information that could also apply to other categories, so we recommend reading all of the sections. Separation ViolencE Safety Risk Post-se

FAQs

Why should attorneys integrate safety planning into their representation of domestic violence survivors?

Legal documents and attorney steps can directly influence survivor safety. Attorneys also may be the first professional contact when survivors consider leaving or starting legal actions, so safety planning can prevent additional harm.

How does coercive control change the way attorneys approach safety planning?

Domestic violence is framed as coercive control through exploitation, deprivation, and regulation. Highly controlling abusers are more likely to kill partners, and attorneys are encouraged to define court-order parameters to limit opportunities for control.

What steps can attorneys take to mitigate separation violence risk?

Attorneys should discuss with clients the risk that informing an abusive partner about leaving or legal action can increase danger. Survivors can prioritize their own safety while attorneys help them understand and manage that risk.

Aug 31, 2026

Upload by Miles