Civil Legal Services

To access La Casa services, please call us at 575-526-9513.

La Casa provides Civil Legal Services in protective order, divorce, custody, and other domestic relations matters services to victims of domestic violence. 

Some of the legal services offered are:

  • Interview and screen victims for Petition for Order of Protection Education and Assistance to complete and file a Petition for Order of Protection
  • Affidavit of Violation and Notice of address (and/or telephone) change
  • Application to modify, terminate or renew the order of protection from domestic abuse.
  • Application of motion to / for Order of Protection
  • Educate client on hearing process; what options they will have on presenting their case the day of the hearing, how to dress for court, what articles not to take to court.
  • Accompany survivors to court to provide support through the hearing process.
  • Coordinate legal advocacy and referrals for outside services for Order of Protection, Divorce, Child Support and Custody
  • Interview and screen victims for Petition for Order of Protection Education and Assistance to complete and file a Petition for Order of Protection
  • Affidavit of Violation and Notice of address (and/or telephone) change
  • Application to modify, terminate or renew the order of protection from domestic abuse.
  • Application of motion to / for Order of Protection
  • Educate client on hearing process; what options they will have on presenting their case the day of the hearing, how to dress to court, what articles not to take to court.
  • Accompany survivors to court to provide support through the hearing process.
  • Coordinate legal advocacy and referrals for outside services for Order of Protection, Divorce, Child Support and Custody

La Casa, Inc’s B.I.P. program is accredited and is compliant with New Mexico State program standards and recommendations. We cross reference every referral against the 13 Domains of Domestic Violence. As a result, not all referrals are appropriate for B.I.P. services. In some cases, there is mutual combat. In others, court has recommended couple counseling or anger management. We do not offer couple counseling or anger management. A few cases are simply aggression that do not meet the threshold of domestic violence..

Domestic Violence offenders are unique violent offenders requiring a specialized approach. Intimate partner violence is based on one person’s unrealistic and or unfair expectations or “rules” for his or her partner. This is compounded by a feeling of entitlement to punish or get revenge when the partner fails to meet these expectations.

Offenders do an excellent job of managing their anger when they choose to do so; for example: they manage their anger with their bosses or in a tense confrontation with someone in a bar. Offenders choose not to manage their anger with their intimate partners. Abuse is not a loss of control, but rather a failure to maintain control. Anger Management does NOT address the root cause of intimate partner violence which is power and control one person exerts over another and/or the ‘perceived’ right to dominate another person. Anger Management fails to account for the premeditated controlling behavior associated with abuse. Intimate partner violence is often a series of behaviors inflicted on an intimate partner through direct and indirect controlling and degrading behaviors. It is not merely a series of impulsive, angry incidents. It is premeditated.

  • Court-mandated participants are referred by the courts upon being convicted of “Battery against a Household Member”.
  • Participants are often placed on supervised probation.
  • Sentencing includes the satisfactory and successful completion of the 52-week B.I.P. program.
  • A few participants are referred once the abused partner files an order of protection.
  • Several referrals come from involvement with Child Protective Services.
  • Some referrals come directly from Probation and Parole Officers’ recommendations.

TIPs (Things to Know)

  • A pattern of abusive behavior is not the result of provocation.
  • Intimate partner Violence can be shaped and supported by societal, parental and cultural norms.
  • Behaviors are often learned over time. They appear reactionary but are premeditated.