Domestic Violence Victim Support — the Legal Anchor
A victim of domestic violence stands in a peculiar position: the source of the violence is often within the close circle, and the very request for help is perceived as a risk. That is why, in these cases, the first consultation with an advocate is not only a legal matter but a safety matter. This page explains what an advocate may do for a domestic violence victim under the Georgian Law on Advocacy Activity. The emphasis falls on one particular norm: under the relevant subparagraph of Article 4, the advocate has a special power to inform the police where a danger of repeated violence exists — the one place where the advocacy statute itself addresses domestic violence.
The Advocate's Special Power — Informing the Police
Under subparagraph "g1" of the first part of Article 4, the advocate is entitled to supply information to the police or other authorised bodies on a possible act of violence against women or violence in the family, where a danger of repetition of the violence exists. For a victim this norm is doubly significant. First, it enables the advocate to activate the state's response at a moment when the victim personally cannot safely reach the police. Second, it fixes the danger of repetition as a standalone criterion: assistance does not begin only once violence has already recurred — a real threat of its repetition suffices. This shifts the protective logic from reaction to prevention, which in a family setting is often decisive.
The Scope of Representation and the Right to Information
This special norm is joined by the ordinary advocacy toolkit. Under Article 2, advocacy activity includes giving legal advice to the person who has approached for assistance; representing the client in constitutional, criminal, civil or administrative cases before courts, arbitration, detention and investigation bodies; preparing legal documents addressed to third parties and submitting documentation in the client's name. Under the first part of Article 4, the advocate represents and defends the client before every court and the investigation bodies and, in the manner prescribed by legislation, demands the necessary documents, certificates and factual data. In a domestic violence case this means covering the criminal, civil and administrative dimensions with a single representative, so that the victim does not have to re-narrate traumatic events to a succession of strangers.
Restraining Orders — a Separate Regulation
It is important to set the boundaries honestly as well: the protective-order system known from American practice is constructed differently in the Georgian order — the procedure for issuing restraining orders is established by separate legislation and is not regulated by the advocacy statute. Describing that procedure is not this page's task; what is explained here is what the advocacy law genuinely provides — representation of the victim, access to documents, and the possibility of informing the police where a danger of repetition exists. The advocate's activity may be restricted only by law — this general guarantee operates in these cases too, meaning the advocate's involvement requires neither a family member's consent nor any body's permission.
Practical Steps for a Victim
In practice, support unfolds as follows: at the first conversation the advocate assesses the facts of violence and the danger of repetition; where necessary, the advocate uses the power to inform the police; in parallel, the documentary basis is assembled — medical certificates, records of incidents, statements of eyewitnesses — through demands made in the manner prescribed by legislation; the advocate then represents the victim before the investigation and the court and prepares the necessary documentation in her name. At the same time, the advocate supports the decisions that the victim alone must make — staying or ending the relationship, initiating a case or choosing another path. The advocate's role is not to make that choice for the client but to ensure that it is informed and safe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Below we answer the questions domestic violence victims raise most often.
When may the advocate inform the police?
Where a danger of repetition of violence exists — the advocate may supply information on a possible act of violence against women or in the family to the police or another authorised body.
Does the advocate's involvement require the family's consent?
No — the advocate's activity may be restricted only by law; neither a family member's nor any other person's permission is required.
Can the advocate obtain medical certificates?
Yes — for the protection of the client's interests the advocate demands and receives the necessary documents, certificates and factual data in the prescribed manner.
Where is the restraining-order procedure regulated?
By separate legislation — the advocacy statute governs representation of the victim, document access and the police-information power, not that procedure.
How We Help on Legal.ge
On Legal.ge you can confidentially contact an advocate who stands beside a domestic violence victim from the very first meeting: assess the danger of repetition, where necessary supply information to the police, obtain the documents and represent you at every instance. Fill in the request form on the site and get a qualified consultation on Legal.ge.