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June 2009
Nancy Christensen and Sanctuary for Families Obtain Custody and Protective Order for Newark Mother
Skilled advocacy paid off for New Jersey associate Nancy Christensen and Sanctuary for Families Director Dorchen Liedholdt, who successfully resolved a custody and domestic violence case in Staten Island Family Court. The client, who had been living in a domestic violence shelter with her two children, was seeking a final order of protection against her husband and full custody of the couple's children. Her husband had a history of domestic violence, and the oldest child described instances of his physical abuse to social services workers and a forensic psychologist. In retaliation, the client’s husband filed a family offense petition seeking his own order of protection and a petition for custody.
Nancy helped the client amend her pleadings, prepare for meetings with the psychologist, file a police report for the husband’s violation of the protective order and prepare effective testimony. On the day trial was set to begin, the parties reached a settlement that provided for a final four-year order of protection against the abusive husband and an order granting full custody of the couple's children to our client.
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