Domestic battery is a crime in the state of Illinois, and it can be a Class A misdemeanor or a Class 4 felony (learn when domestic battery is a Class 4 felony in Illinois).
The consequences are severe — but many people who are accused of some type of domestic violence don’t know everything they need to know about their situations.
3 Things You Need to Know About Domestic Battery Charges
#1: Domestic battery isn’t only applied to spouses.
You can be charged with domestic battery if you’re accused of committing a domestic violence crime against your:
- Spouse
- Ex-spouse
- Fiancé
- Ex-fiancé
- Boyfriend
- Girlfriend
- Roommate
- Stepparent
- Stepchild
You can also be charged with domestic battery if you’re accused of domestic violence against:
- A person with whom you share a child
- A person with whom you are alleged to share a child
- A person with whom you share a home
#2: You may be able to claim self-defense in a domestic battery case.
While not everyone can claim self-defense in a domestic battery case, there are situations in which it makes sense to defend yourself this way.
Your Chicago domestic violence defense attorney will examine the facts of your case and ask you what happened during the incident. If it applies, he may advise you to claim self-defense.
#3: If someone gets an order of protection against you, you may not be allowed to go home to get your things.
Typically when someone gets an order of protection against you, the order will:
- Forbid you from doing certain things
- Require you to do certain things
- Make changes to your current custody and visitation arrangements
- Include specific court decisions about property that you share with the person who filed the order of protection against you
If the order forbids you from going to the home you share with the alleged victim, you won’t be able to go back until you’ve cleared up the matter in court. That means you may not be able to see your kids, sleep in your own bed, or even go by the house to pick up your toothbrush.
Do You Need to Talk to a Domestic Battery Defense Lawyer in Chicago?
If someone has accused you of any type of domestic violence, you may want to talk to a domestic battery defense lawyer in Chicago, Skokie, or Rolling Meadows.
Call us at 847-920-4540 for a free domestic violence defense case review. We’ll examine the facts and begin developing a strategy that gets you the best possible outcome.
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