Family abuse is the term under Virginia law for domestic violence. In this type of case, one family member (or household member) is accused of violence against another member of the household. Situations involving family violence are often made complex by family dynamics and living situations and the stresses they sometimes create. Furthermore, these cases...Read More

A family abuse charge (known as domestic violence in many other jurisdictions) in Virginia is serious business. It is a Class 1 misdemeanor and can potentially result in jail time. There are circumstances, however, in which the legal process can be seen as giving a person who has been charged with family abuse a second...Read More

Virginia has a broad range of crimes that it considers domestic violence. Domestic violence is referred to in the statutes as “family abuse.” Family abuse is any act involving force, violence, or threat  that results in bodily injury or places a family or household member in reasonable apprehension of death, sexual assault, or bodily injury....Read More

Under Virginia law, stalking can be considered domestic violence or family abuse. This is only true if the victim of the stalking fits a specific definition that, for the purposes of this article, is a member of the accused’s family or household (including former roommates from up to a year past). Virginia’s Family Abuse Law...Read More