Brenda, a domestic violence survivor, exhausted her life savings trying to protect her children. LSC grantee Neighborhood Legal Services in Pittsburgh provided her much-needed legal help.
Unlike Brenda, many domestic violence survivors are unable to get the legal help they need.
Recent survivors of domestic violence did not receive any or enough legal help for 88% of their civil legal problems in the past year.
The 2022 Justice Gap Measurement Survey showed that 98% of low-income households with recent domestic violence survivors experienced at least one additional civil legal problem in the past year, and 87% experienced at least five (in addition to the domestic violence). The most common types of problems related to consumer issues, health care, and income maintenance. Individuals from low-income households with recent domestic violence survivors sought legal help for 29% of the problems that substantially affected them. Scroll down for an infographic summarizing key findings related to low-income households with recent domestic violence survivors or download a PDF of the infographic.
The rate of intimate partner violence for women is nearly 3 times higher among those with in the lowest income quartile versus those in the highest quartile.
Data source: Bonomi, A. E., Trabert, B., Anderson, M. L., Kernic, M. A., & Holt, V. L. 2014. Intimate partner violence and neighborhood income: a longitudinal analysis. Violence Against Women, 20(1), 42–58
98% of low-income households with recent domestic violence had at least 1 civil legal problem in the past year.*
87% had 5+ problems in past year.*
62% had 10+ problems in past year.*
Common problem areas:
Consumer Issues (90%)
Family and safety* (75%)
Health care (44%)
* Excluding domestic violence problems.
n = 225 households with recent domestic violence survivors
Data source: 2021 Justice Gap Measurement Survey
Sought legal help for 29% of substantial problems.
Did not receive any or enough legal help for 88% of substantial problems.
n = 666 substantial problems
Data source: 2021 Justice Gap Measurement Survey
At or below 125% of FPL (n=177)*:
- 45% are confident they could find and afford a lawyer if they needed one to help resolve a serious civil legal problem.
Between 125% and 400% of FPL (n=112)*:
- 48% are confident.
At or above 400% of FPL:
- Not enough data to produce estimate.
* Small base size
Data source: 2021 Justice Gap Measurement Survey
In 2021, LSC-funded organizations closed more than 148,000 cases involving domestic violence.
Data source: Preliminary analysis of LSC’s 2021 Grantee Activity Report (GAR) data.
Additional Information about Domestic Violence
Allison: Escaping Domestic Violence
Legal Services of New Jersey Legal Services helped Allison obtain a domestic violence restraining order.
Client Success Story: Jason
Montana Legal Services Association Hear Jason, a man with disabilities who was abused by his wife, speak about how MLSA…
Edith’s Story
Legal Assistance Foundation of Metropolitan Chicago Edith, a domestic violence survivor, turns to Legal Assistance Foundation for help.
