A childhood friend of mine was a victim of domestic violence during her freshman year of college, although at the time I didn't even know enough to call it that. During their three-year relationship, I watched her self-esteem crumble. She became more and more isolated from her friends and family. I had no idea what to do or how to help. I felt powerless.

The relationship finally ended when her boyfriend put a chair through the window of her dorm room while she was sleeping only feet away. My friend and her roommate called campus safety and filed a report, but nothing came from it. My friend's parents went to the college president, who advised against pursuing criminal charges, explaining it was better to let the school handle it. The boyfriend was only 21 years old, so involving the authorities was “not necessary.”

He was not immediately expelled from school, and he was allowed to continue attending classes as long as he did not return to campus outside of class. His fraternity did not take any disciplinary action against him. He was not required to take any sort of anger management or domestic violence class.

For my friend, it was a very different experience. She suffered from nightmares. No one from the school directed her toward any resources that might have been able to help her. Socially, she was ostracized. It took her enormous effort just to finish her degree. I was shocked by how little support there was from her school and her peers as she struggled to distance herself from the abuse. I've been unable to forget how little help she was able to receive.

Domestic violence does not discriminate. It affects people of every age, socioeconomic class, race and education level. I learned how hard it is for a victim of domestic violence to get the help they need to escape the abuse. It inspired me to help survivors in the aftermath of violence, so that no one has to be alone while they put their lives back together.

This passion is what led me to Atlanta Volunteer Lawyers Foundation and to the Safe Families Office. I interned with the SFO the summer after my first year of law school. I interviewed victims of domestic violence and walked them through the process of getting an ex parte protective order. It was overwhelming and sometimes heartbreaking, but when a client gave me a hug or a sincere thank you, I knew I was making a difference. I continued to volunteer throughout law school. I've continued to volunteer since becoming a practicing attorney, because there is so much value in this work.

As an attorney, you'll probably handle very few cases where you can help someone obtain spousal support, child support, possession of their property and protection from their abuser—all over the course of a single day. This is the power of a temporary protective order.

Escaping from violence takes far more than a piece of paper that says “stay away.” A monthly child support check can make the difference between a mother returning to her abuser or having the ability to start a new life free of violence with her children.

Recently, I represented a client who, after being strangled, had a gun held to her head for so long that it left an indentation in her skin. The details of violence are horrific, but those are not what stand out to me. What stands out to me is the courage my client displayed as she worked to get herself and her minor children out of the situation.

We received a temporary protective order, with a generous amount of child support that is deducted straight from his paycheck. There will be no refusing to pay.

A few weeks after the hearing, I received a very excited email from my client saying she was able to find an apartment for herself and her children. Her son is seeing a therapist so he can heal from the violence he witnessed. She is attending a support group with other survivors. This family was able to move on and start a new life, free from threats and violence. It all started with obtaining a temporary protective order at the Safe Families Office.

Farley H. Ezekiel graduated from Emory Law School in 2015 and served as the Hunton & Williams pro bono fellow for two years. She wrote this article in early 2017 during her time with Hunton & Williams. In January, she will join the Atlanta Legal Aid Society's Clayton County Office as the Equal Justice Works Georgia Housing Corps fellow. As part of her new role, she is launching the Clayton County Housing Legal Resource Center.