Legal Advocacy

What services do Legal Advocates provide?

We assist victims of domestic violence and sexual assault with support and assistance in navigating the criminal justice system; this could be the police, states attorney and clerks and judges.
We provide our clients information on the Illinois Domestic Violence Act. Further, we provide information on a victim's legal rights and choices.
The advocates provide extensive information on safety planning and stalking.
Advocates provide assistance with civil Orders of Protection (OP) and Civil No Contact Orders (CNCO); filling out paperwork, filing petitions and offering support and encouragement through court hearings.

A CNCO only works for victims of non-consensual sexual conduct or non-consensual sexual penetration. Sexual harassment does not apply for the Order.
A person who is not in a relationship with the offender.
A parent can get a CNCO on behalf of a minor child or an adult who because of age, disability, health, or inaccessibility cannot file the petition on their own.

Any person abused by a family or household member. "Family or household members" can include: spouses, former spouses, parents, (step) children, other persons related by blood or marriage past or present, persons who do or have shared a common dwelling, persons who have a child in common, or persons involved in an intimate or dating relationship, persons with disabilities and their assistants.

Please call 815/756-5228 or 815/786-6333 for more information.