Welcome

Are you a woman experiencing Domestic Violence of Sexual Abuse?
Do you want some support, advice or information?
Have you reported something to the police, or are you thinking about it, and don't know what to do next?
Do you want some advice about injunctions or children's issues?
Are you being forced into a marriage that you don't want to do?

HALT (Help, Advice & the Law Team) is a pioneering and innovative charity, working with women to reduce further risk and improve safety. HALT works in Leeds offering legal advice, support and advocacy to women who have experienced domestic or sexual violence.

HALT workers are called caseworkers or IDVA's. HALT was the first Independent Domestic Violence Adviser (IDVA) service to set up in the UK. 'IDVA' is a relatively new term, coined by the Home Office and there are various projects across the UK offering independent support around domestic and sexual abuse.

We will be your primary point of contact for anything that may be happening if you have reported an incident to the police, and a court case may happen. We work with you to assess the level of risk that you may face; discuss a range of suitable options with you and develop a joint safety plan.

We work with you to address your immediate safety and also practical steps to help you protect yourself and your children. We also look at longer term solutions such as housing options and remedies available from the civil and criminal courts.

We often work from a point of crisis and work over the short to medium term to help you achieve long term safety.

It is important to know that we are independent of any other organisation and are confidential. Women feel confident that they can share what is often very complicated and intimate information with us without it affecting the criminal justice process or jeopardising their feelings of safety. They in turn know that they can trust the advice they are receiving from us; that it is impartial and independent; allowing them to make the best possible decision for their future.