Colorado Gives Day 2023

Check out Project Safeguard's Theory of Change to learn more about the impact and outcomes of the organization's work on behalf of survivors of gender-based violence.

Project Safeguard (PSG) serves people who have experienced or are experiencing gender-based violence (including but not limited to domestic/intimate partner abuse, sexual violence, stalking, and/or human trafficking) in Metro Denver. Our non-attorney legal advocacy and attorney services are designed to help this population increase safety through civil legal remedies, which may include civil protection orders, divorce and custody cases, and/or immigration relief related to their abuse. Support filing for a civil protection order is most often what brings people to Project Safeguard, but once they have connected with an advocate, we help people understand all of the ways the civil legal system can support them on their journey to safety.  

The legal system is complex and confusing for anyone to navigate, and it is even more difficult for folks who have been impacted by trauma and are living in survival mode. A needs assessment conducted by the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) found the provision of civil legal services for victims of crime to be a major gap in services in the state. PSG helps fill this gap by providing non-attorney legal advocacy and attorney services that help our clients understand their rights and options within the civil legal system. We work to level the playing field and create more equitable access to the civil legal system for survivors by working alongside them to make the process less daunting.

Research has shown that legal representation has a significant impact on the outcome of civil protection order hearings – particularly at Permanent Protection Order (PPO) hearings. One study found that 83% of victims represented by an attorney obtained a protection order, versus 32% without an attorney. While a variety of services are available to support victims, research has found that legal services alone have been shown to reduce incidences of domestic violence. Leading researchers Farmer and Tiefenthaler report that “…women who live in counties with legal assistance programs to help battered women are significantly less likely to report abuse. Because legal services help women with practical matters such as protective orders, custody, and child support they appear to actually present women with real, long-term alternatives to their relationships.” For many of the clients we serve, non-attorney advocacy services sufficiently meet their needs, but those with more complex legal needs, higher risk of lethality, and those whose abusers are represented by an attorney, support from a licensed attorney can positively impact court outcomes.

PSG’s legal advocacy and attorney services reduce the financial burden for victims of gender-based violence by providing free access to legal advice and representation, and we cover all associated court fees. A 2004 study looking at custody proceedings involving domestic violence found that the average cost of cases filed by protective mothers is over $90,000. More than a quarter of study participants were forced to file bankruptcy as a result of filing for custody. A 2014 Report on Civil Legal Needs in Colorado found that “…76 percent of parties in domestic relations cases are self-represented.” This report goes on to say, “Legal assistance can help keep families together, preserve housing, ensure access to health care and other basic needs, and reduce domestic violence.” 

Widespread cultural change is needed for the issue of gender-based violence to be eradicated, but until that happens, PSG will be here to support survivors on their journey to safety. When survivors receive services from a typical legal aid organization, the representation is often limited to the standard procedural steps of a case. When a survivor hires a private attorney, the representation is limited by their financial means. Survivors who receive representation from a PSG staff attorney are assisted with every aspect of the case that arises. PSG’s model of pairing wrap-around civil legal advocacy with long-term, multi-issue legal representation for survivors of gender-based violence is unique in Metro Denver. Without such a resource, people are more likely to give up and see abuse as their only option.