Survivor Justice Center

Almost losing my child was one of the scariest moments in my life. I had been successfully co-parenting with my daughter’s dad for over ten years, so I was shocked that one day he filed a petition to request full legal and physical custody of my daughter. I couldn’t lose her. I couldn’t break up our family. I tried to seek legal advice, but I didn’t have the money to pay a private attorney. I went to other nonprofits asking for help and everyone denied me. Either I was ineligible or my court date was too soon, so they couldn’t help. I also tried to go through court self-help, but it was very confusing. I had to take time off work and wait in these long lines to get the information I needed. It was a very stressful process and I didn’t even know if I was doing it right. I was scared thinking I may lose my daughter. I came across LACLJ and they immediately gave me an appointment. Even just giving me that one appointment made a really big impact. They listened to me and gave me hope. I was so relieved when they took my case. Since my court hearing was coming up soon, they worked quickly to gather all the information they needed for my case. Seeing them hard at work, I knew I couldn’t have done all that by myself. LACLJ did everything in their power to help. My daughter had been sexually assaulted by one of her dad’s family members. She had already been through so much. I didn’t want her to be removed from her home and her siblings. We were a family. When the judge ordered to maintain my custody rights, I felt so relieved. I still get emotional thinking about it now. It meant so much to my family. When I went back home to hug her that day, I held her tightly knowing how close I was to losing her. Going to court is a scary process, especially if you are not educated or if there is a language barrier. It’s hard to even describe what it means to have someone, an agency like LACLJ, support you and help you keep your family together. It changed our lives. I am so grateful for your donation and for choosing to support this cause. Thanks to you, I was able to get legal representation in court. Thanks to you, I am looking at my daughter right now painting with her siblings. My family has not been separated. We’re complete. We’re together. - Xochitl