B&C Attorneys Help Mom Protect her Children

Published on Fri, July 01, 2011

Attorneys, Melissa Iyer and Cheryl Walsh recently assisted a mother to finalize her divorce while ensuring that her estranged ex-husband would not have any interaction with the couple's two daughters, even after they have reached adulthood, without their permission. After the mother separated from the girls' father, she learned that he had been sexually and physically abusing the girls for many years, using fear to keep them quiet. While the mother knew she and the girls would have great difficulties financially, she was willing to do anything to end the abuse.

Despite Orders of Protection, the father had previously tried to contact the girls, causing one to attempt suicide. As volunteer attorneys with the Arizona Domestic Violence Assistance Project, Melissa and Cheryl negotiated with the father's legal counsel to secure his assurance that he would never contact the girls. The resulting divorce decree will protect the children from the fear of having any further contact with their abusive father so that they may move on with their lives and forward in the process of healing.

Winston Churchill once said, "We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give." While this case was handled pro bono, the payment was huge for Melissa and Cheryl when the client wrote, "Thanks again for everything. Just know (sic) you 2 were on our side made such a difference."

Good work, Melissa and Cheryl!