Last quarter service trends: Surge in survivors accessing legal advocacy

The number of survivors accessing Haven’s legal advocacy services last quarter was up more than 60 percent from the quarter before, our internal service numbers show.

Source: Haven’s internal service numbers.

This surge in numbers could be a result of a social-media campaign we did around National Stalking Awareness Month in January, to show survivors what experiencing stalking might look like, and to let people know that support is available. We know that abuse and stalking happen at rates higher than we see at Haven – our hope is that survivors learned about our services and reached out for support.

Historically, around one-third of survivors that Haven works with each year access support with one of our legal advocates. These advocates aren’t lawyers, but they can: 

• Walk a survivor through filing an order of protection (the Montana term for what some states refer to as a “restraining order“)

• Prepare with a survivor for the court hearing where a judge decides whether to issue the order of protection

• Support a survivor by physically sitting in court with them during the hearing

The legal system might not be easy to navigate. Haven advocates support and empower survivors on whatever path the survivor thinks is the safest and best for their individual situation.