Sometimes it can be difficult to know what options are available to you legally when you are in an abusive relationship. This is a quick run through of some of those options. We would always recommend that you obtain professional advice. The Helpline can give you the phone numbers of legal firms in Herts that can help you.

No matter how much you may love or care for the person who is hurting you, there is no excuse for Elder Abuse.  You have the right to live in safety, free from abuse and neglect. Domestic Abuse of Older people is acknowledged to be under reported. In this guide on Elder Abuse we highlight how to spot the signs you are victim and how to get help.

This article talks through why disabled people can become more vulnerable to partner abuse, barriers to seeking support and advice on how to support a friend or relative you are concerned about

If you are thinking of leaving an abusive relationship the thought of leaving your home to stay in a shelter or refuge can be concerning. In this article, we explain what domestic abuse shelters are and the invaluable services they provide for victims of abuse.

Discover more about what financial abuse means, its impact and what you can do to regain control of your finances from an abusive partner.

This article looks at what elder abuse means and how to get help for yourself or someone you think may be a victim. Elder abuse could be a single or repeated act, occurring within any relationship where there is an expectation of trust, which causes harm or distress to an older person.    

Meet our Chair Chris Roach and hear in her own words how the Helpline is working hard to transform lives in Hertfordshire.

In this film made for small charities week Chris sheds light on how our charity works and the shocking statistics that prove how important the service is.

This article looks at what you should do to stay safe after leaving an abusive relationship. The period after leaving can be a dangerous time during which you may be at risk. There are steps you can take to keep you and your family as safe as possible and to minimise the risk of contact with your former partner.

Verity Bramwell considers herself to be a well-educated confident person. By bravely sharing her very personal story of enduring coercive control and mental cruelty in her marriage, she aims to shed light on this very real and prevalent form of domestic abuse.

In this article, we look at how to leave an abusive relationship as safely as possible.

Making the decision to leave an abusive partner is incredibly hard and requires great courage. You may have been considering leaving for a long time, or a single trigger event means you need to leave urgently.

In this article, we highlight how to spot the signs that someone is in an abusive relationship and experiencing ‘gaslighting’.

In 2015, a new offence was introduced by the Serious Crime Act that made significant steps towards recognising how domestic violence can take many forms.

Domestic abuse relies on the silence of the person who is experiencing it and those around them.  Our goal is to get the Hertfordshire business community to work together to end Domestic Abuse. 

The Herts Domestic Abuse Helpline relies on volunteer call takers who give up 2-3 hours a week, working from home, to help signpost abuse survivors to vital agency support.  'Zara' is a volunteer call taker and in this feature, she shares her journey.

In this article we highlight the key things to look out for to enable anyone to spot the signs some-one at work, a friend or neighbour is struggling in an abusive relationship.

Domestic Violence is having a negative impact on the morale, productivity and performance of workplace teams across our county and we are on a mission, to help business colleagues address this by taking a stand against Domestic Violence.

Lara Norris CEO of the family charity Home- Start Herts talks here about her life in the first of our domestic abuse stories. 

As a young married mother Lara endured 4 years of sustained abuse from her partner but has gone on to live a happy, healthy and fulfilled life that should inspire us all.

When I was six, my parents separated and my mother and stepfather moved 130 miles away from my dad.  My stepfather had anger issues, although he never hit or touched me or my mother, instead he would shout and swear at us.  To anyone who met him, he was charming. 

I was married for about 3 and a half years, but it seemed like an eternity. I’d always been very independent, but my husband slowly started making decisions for me. He led me to believe that everyone I knew thought I was flaky, annoying, mentally unstable and a general burden.