Economic security is often one of the most significant factors in determining a survivor's short and long-term safety. A 2012 Mary Kay survey of transitional housing and shelter programs reported that 74% of victims stayed with an abuser longer due to financial issues. Additional research shows that survivors' efforts to obtain legal protection carry major economic costs. Safety for survivors requires access to financial resources in order to restore past economic harms resulting from the abuse and to cover the cost of survivors' basic needs moving forward. Civil and criminal protection orders can mitigate the short-term economic barriers that survivors face in their efforts to achieve long-term safety and economic justice.

This webinar will explore how protection orders can be used to address the economic needs of survivors by covering:

the link between economic security and physical safety;

the landscape of economic relief in civil protection order law;

concrete strategies for accessing and enforcing economic civil protection order relief;

the role of criminal protection orders in promoting economic security; and

building partnerships between civil and criminal attorneys and advocates to strengthen economic security for survivors.

This project was supported by Grant No. 2016-TA-AX-K052 awarded by the Office on Violence Against Women, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed in this presentation are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women.