What Is The Integrated Domestic Violence Court?

An incident of domestic violence catches the attention of multiple courts as it violates multiple laws and regulations. Criminal, family, matrimonial, and civil courts will all need to hear about and handle a domestic violence case. There is clearly plenty of opportunity for errors, overlapping judgements, and stress in such a system. The abuser and the abused can find themselves in uncomfortable, or even dangerous, situations as they attempt to align schedules and court dates for multiple courts to handle their case. The end result is usually confusion, delays, and general frustration at the process as a whole.

New York State has come up with a fairly clever and incredibly useful solution to the problem of multiple courts by consolidating them all into what is known as an Integrated Domestic Violence (IDV) Court. An IDV Court utilizes the services of a specialized judge who is capable of understanding and overseeing all aspects of a family law case, from potential criminal sentencing to assigning restraining orders. The program’s mantra is “One Family – One Judge” and the way it functions exemplifies this idea.

Benefits of the IDV Court include:

• Greater consistency between one ruling and the next.
• Lesser amount of necessary court appearances.
• Reduced costs paid out in court fees.
• Typically shorter completion time.

If you and your spouse share any children together, using the IDV Court can prove massively positive for them as well. The conciseness of the system strips away confusion that can leave children feeling lost or left behind, and having all legal explanations come from one presiding judge is helpful for them to grasp the overarching concepts of both divorce and domestic violence. Since IDV Courts promote community services for recovering families and work in tandem with law enforcement agents, there is also an overall sense of purpose and direction when just one court handles the case, instead of bouncing a family around between courtrooms.

For more information regarding IDV Courts and family law cases, you can contact Peter L. Cedeño Associates, P.C. Our New York City divorce attorneys can explain your legal options during a free initial consultation. When it comes time to head to the courtroom for a domestic violence dispute, we can also be the team that helps you each step along the way.