Our Stories

Alice M.’s Justice

When Alice M. filed for divorce from her abusive husband, he sued her for access to her retirement benefits, as well as her household possessions. Unable to afford an attorney to protect all that she had worked for, Alice turned to Her Justice.

Flora’s Justice

Without a lawyer, Flora would have dropped off her 10-year-old at school in the morning, and wouldn’t have been there to pick him up that afternoon. With support of Her Justice, Flora is able to live in safety with their children.

Myrna’s Justice

“I was so scared. I had no idea about the law, no friends, and no connections. It was all so very frightening and so painful. I was always crying, always crying and so fearful for my life.”

Originally from the Philippines, 44-year-old Myrna came to New York to marry the love of her life. Her first husband had died of cancer, leaving her on her own with their four young sons. She was devastated to lose him, but she knew that she wanted to move forward with her life and share love again.

Teresa’s Justice

Teresa*, the mother of two boys and a survivor of domestic violence, separated from her husband several years ago. Initially, the parents split custody of their sons and the court determined her husband’s support obligation to be $50 monthly. Then Teresa petitioned for, and was granted, sole custody. After being awarded full custody, she petitioned for an increase in child support due to the change in circumstances.

Chavie’s Justice

Chavie was 30 years old and a former adherent of the Hasidic faith when she came to Her Justice in 2012 seeking to change the terms of the custodial agreement she and her ex-husband had reached for their three children before an all-male tribunal of rabbis.

As per the religious divorce, they had originally agreed to joint custody of the children with visitation rights for the ex-husband and Chavie as the residential parent.  They also agreed to raise the children in the Hasidic faith, including sending them to Hasidic schools. Since the agreement, Chavie was slowly moving away from her faith and finding a new identity for herself.

Augusta’s Justice

Augusta*, a Colombian citizen, was brought to an immigration detention facility near New York City after her ex-boyfriend and abuser reported her to immigration authorities so that he could take custody of their daughter and punish Augusta for leaving him.

One day last summer, he called Augusta asking to see their daughter, of whom they had shared custody, on a day that he normally did not see the child and Augusta took her daughter to Andy’s house for an overnight visit. The next morning, Augusta was arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at her home.

Kay’s Justice

In the summer of 2015, Kay* and her daughter fled from the violent home in Brooklyn that they shared with the child’s father. Kay worked two jobs to make ends meet, but could not support her young daughter without child support. Kay knew that if she pursued the Family Court case on her own, she would not be able to demonstrate that the father was not reporting all of his income, and that he now lived rent-free with his mother, a significant savings that the Court can use to increase the non-custodial parent’s child support obligation.