Family Mediation Services

Text Message and Email Editing for Effective Communication

Victims of Domestic Violence are often required to continue to communicate with their abuser because they have children in common but using our family mediation services can make the communications much more productive and proper. Often times, the abuse continues via emails and/or text messages. Victims continue to be victimized by their abusers because of non-specific Court Orders.

When parties obtain an Order of Protection, Judges try to add language that they believe will help protect the victim. Wording such as “emails and text messages must be about the children”. That can actually cause tremendous problems, because the abuser only needs to say the child’s name in the email or text message and suddenly it’s okay.

Example – Before ProperComm:
“Hey, here’s a picture of me, and little Sally and Sara from the day we got engaged. Look how much little Sally likes her. Please show her this picture, I told her I would get her a copy. Isn’t she hot? Sally said that she wants to stay skinny like her and not get fat like her mom. I noticed you did lose some weight but you need a lot more help before any man is ever going to want to be with you.”

Unfortunately these types of comments are all too real.

ProperComm eliminates the abuse from messages. ProperComm does not allow attachments; so the victim never has to worry about what will pop up on her phone or email next.

After ProperComm: “The sender would receive the following message. REJECT: Your message is not able to be edited.”

What happens when the abuser threatens the victim while using ProperComm? The email gets sent directly to the victim without edits. ProperComm wants to provide victims with the ability to get immediate help and have evidence in case something does happen to the victim. ProperComm does not contact the police as we believe that the victim has more information about the abuser than does ProperComm.

Cost: If you are a victim of Domestic Violence and have not participated in any inappropriate communications, the Judge can Order that you are to register as a “victim” and there will be no charge. Your emails will not be edited. They will be automatically pushed through. The judge can also order that the abuser pays for both parties. This sometimes helps to minimize the amount of emails and texts. Abusers may be willing to spend hundreds of dollars on their own abuse, but will not wish to be required to pay money for the Victim. The Court can Order (link to judges form of order) that the abuser keeps a certain amount of money in the victim’s fund. Typically $50.