Understanding Wisconsin Domestic Violence Law

Wisconsin takes domestic violence laws seriously. This comes from a place of wanting to protect the safety of all of its citizens. Still, if you don’t understand how this area of law works, you might find yourself in trouble for your actions or words. Before you get to that point, take the time to understand just what domestic violence means in Wisconsin.
Who Do These Laws Protect?
Domestic violence laws come into play between family members or any people living together. If you live with your spouse, your ex-spouse, your parents, or even a roommate, you may be subject to domestic violence charges. All that is required is an incident in which one person hurts or threatens another who lives with him or her.
What Is Domestic Violence?
You probably think of domestic violence when a man beats his spouse. This certainly qualifies, but it is only part of the picture. Domestic violence does not require physical harm for charges to be filed. It includes any of these incidents:

1. Any act intended to cause pain to another person;
2. Any act to intentionally impair someone; or
3. Any act that creates a reasonable fear in another person that physical harm will result.

None of these categories requires that someone is physically injured. Trying to hurt someone, or threatening to hurt someone, can qualify–and get you into a lot of trouble.
Legal Consequences of Domestic Violence
If someone calls the police about an incident in your home, they will determine whether any of the three categories of domestic violence has occurred. They will look at whether anyone is hurt, look at any criminal history for everyone involved, and assess the level of fear present. If you are arrested, you can face restraining orders, fines, and jail time. You also get a criminal record that will follow you for the rest of your life.
If you have been arrested for domestic violence, you need to take the charges seriously. The experienced lawyers at Eisenberg Law Offices can help. Contact us today, online or at (608)256-8356.
This post was first published at https://www.eisenberglaw.org/understanding-wisconsin-domestic-violence-law/