Family Violence Appellate Project Information

Family Violence Appellate Project is the only nonprofit organization in California and Washington state dedicated to helping domestic violence survivors appeal dangerous court decisions that leave them and/or their children at risk of ongoing abuse. We provide free legal representation to appeal cases that put domestic violence survivors in danger, overturning these decisions and helping survivors get the safety and justice they deserve. By obtaining publication of our cases, we are also setting new legal precedents throughout California and Washington state that prioritize the safety of abuse survivors and children. THE PROBLEM Decisions reached by trial courts in domestic violence cases far too often leave survivors and their children in danger of ongoing abuse. At least half of batterers who frequently abuse their spouses also frequently abuse their children, and one study found that abusers are granted custody in 54% of custody cases involving documented domestic violence. Many survivors in this situation, who may have had poor or no legal representation in the trial court, either do not know that they can appeal their case or lack the financial resources to appeal. As a result, there is little appellate precedent for trial courts to follow, and they are not rigorously enforcing key statutes designed to protect children from abusive parents. THE SOLUTION FVAP partners with pro bono attorneys from California's and Washington' top law firms to make sure we're winning cases for domestic violence survivors. The average of successful appeals in California is only 21%, but at FVAP, we win 80% of the appeals we bring and 100% of the appeals we defend. We're holding courts accountable for the safety of abuse survivors and their children. We're changing the law by building up a body of precedential case law that will help families throughout the state. And we're empowering domestic violence survivors to get the safety and justice they deserve.