Madeline’s two sons, Robert and Cody, are six and nine years old. Her husband, Henry, was sent to prison for physically abusing Madeline while she was pregnant with Robert. After Henry’s release from prison, he began threatening Madeline. She sought a restraining order on her own, but the judge denied it. Early one morning, Henry went to Madeline’s house and kicked in the door. Madeline called the police and they arrested Henry. Worried that she would again be unsuccessful in seeking protection from the courts on her own, Madeline sought help from legal aid. They helped her obtain a restraining order and get a divorce from Henry, with terms designed to protect Madeline, Robert, and Cody. Madeline told her legal aid attorney “Thank you for walking this entire walk with me. Even though I may seem calm, cool, and collected through it all, it was a rough choice to make, and I am so very thankful you guys were there to help me and the boys through it.”
