October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM), and domestic violence service agencies will be holding events to encourage communities to take action to prevent domestic violence. To find out about events in your community and how you can participate, call your local domestic violence service provider. You can find the address and phone number of your county domestic violence program in the Guide to Services, which is published on the Web site of the New Jersey Coalition for Battered Women.

If you know someone who is a victim of domestic violence, or if you need help for yourself, call the statewide domestic violence hotline at Womanspace, 1-800-572-SAFE (1-800-572-7233), for advice or a referral to a local program. Many victims of domestic violence feel isolated and alone, but there is expert help available, and a phone call to the hotline can help victims become aware of options and services within their local communities.

Low-income victims can receive legal advice from LSNJ-LAW™, Legal Services of New Jersey’s statewide, toll-free legal hotline, at 1-888-LSNJ-LAW (1-888-576-5529) or Legal Services of New Jersey’s Domestic Violence Representation Project (DVRP). Call LSNJ at 732-572-9100 to find out if you are eligible for help from the DVRP. Legal Services of New Jersey has a variety of publications, including a handbook, Domestic Violence: A Guide to the Legal Rights of Domestic Violence Victims in New Jersey.

This article originally appeared in the October 2008 issue of Looking Out for Your Legal Rights^®.