Legal Services
Let us help you navigate through complicated legal systems so you can focus on healing.
My attorney did a phenomenal job assisting us. She was so informative and very helpful. I appreciate all the guidance she provided.
Legal Help to Survivors of Sexual Violence
Our Legal Team offers trauma-informed, no-cost, holistic, wrap-around services to low-income survivors of sexual violence who live in San Diego County. We are here to help you.
Sexual violence is a term we use to describe sexual harm that happened without consent. This can include:
- Sexual harassment
- Sexual threats and intimidation
- Sexual abuse
- Sexual assault or rape
We help survivors with legal needs or questions relating to sexual violence. Here are some examples of some legal needs we may be able to help with:
- Domestic Violence Restraining Orders (DVRO) and related family law matters (divorce, child custody, child support, spousal support and paternity)
- Civil Harassment Restraining Orders (CHRO)
- Housing rights including early lease termination and eviction protections
- Workplace rights including job protected leave and reasonable accommodations
- Education rights including school accommodations and support in disciplinary or Title IX process
- Immigration protections and relief
- Consumer rights and economic justice
- Crime victims’ rights including applying for crime victim compensation and support in understanding the criminal justice process
- Privacy protections for personal information including medical, mental health, and education records
Services are free and confidential for eligible individuals, and offered in different languages with language interpretation available (including American Sign Language). Residents throughout San Diego County are eligible for services.
We also have support for survivors under one of our additional projects:
Funded by the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, the Domestic Violence High Risk Case Response Team (HRT) collaborates to respond to the needs of survivors, and their families, experiencing intimate partner violence who are at high risk for future lethality or serious injury. We coordinate and participate in HRT in Central, East and North San Diego County. Each region has different representatives from advocacy, social service agencies, healthcare, and criminal justice organizations that meet to review these cases. Through this collaborative process, HRT seeks to achieve the following:
- Enhance the safety of intimate partner violence survivors and their families
- Provide a comprehensive, coordinated and collaborative response
- Increase criminal and civil justice system accountability for the perpetrator
- Reduce the harmful effects of intimate partner violence and prevent repeat violence by perpetrators
- Break the cycle of abuse
El Cajon Walk-In DVRO Clinic
We operate a Walk-In DVRO Clinic at the El Cajon Courthouse where we provide survivors in need of assistance with filing a DVRO help with preparing their initial DVRO paperwork. No appointment is needed – people will be seen on a first come, first served basis.
Address: 250 E. Main St, El Cajon, CA 92020
Clinic hours: Thursday: 8:30 am to 3:30 pm & Friday: 8:30 am to 12:00 pm
There may also be other free walk-in DVRO assistance at each courthouse during their business hours. They may also assist with Civil Harassment Restraining Orders and Elder Abuse Restraining Orders.
Please refer to the court website for up-to-date information regarding available services at sdcourt.ca.gov.
Contact Information
Services are provided throughout San Diego County by appointment only, except for the Walk-In DVRO Clinic. Please call (858) 272-5777 ext. 7100 for more information.
CCS is committed to a client services environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. CCS assists all victims of domestic violence and sexual assault regardless of age, race, ethnicity, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, medical condition, political affiliation/opinion, or veteran status.