Honolulu Star-Advertiser
The attached letter published in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser was recently drafted by our firm’s founder, Brad Coates.
Family Helping Family
Guiding You Through Every Step of the Process
Domestic Abuse
Strength Is Needed When Divorcing a Manipulator
A manipulative spouse is difficult to deal with because they will push and push until they get their way. The techniques that they use can often make you feel negatively about yourself. They might cause stress in your home. You may always feel guilty or like you did something wrong. This isn’t a way to live, so you decide that…
Hawaii’s Adopt a Family Program Needs Help
Every year, an empty warehouse sits waiting to be filled by the generous donations of people willing to give a little so that another family’s holidays can be a bit brighter. In 2017, almost 800 families benefited from the Adopt A Family program. Around 750 families have asked for assistance this year — many of them headed by mothers who…
Domestic Violence Still Common, But Less Discussed Than Before
Domestic violence is one of the most common social maladies in the country. However, discussions about the problem are becoming less and less frequent. A recent survey found that 62 percent of Americans believe domestic violence is a serious concern. Further, 34 percent feel like it isn’t acceptable to discuss in public. That’s an increase of 10 percent since the…
Concussions Pose Additional Dangers to Domestic Violence Victims
The victims of domestic violence have a lot of things they have to be concerned about. Now, doctors and scientists say that there’s one more issue that needs to be added to the list: the dangers posed by concussions. Researchers say that many of the nation’s victims of domestic violence — which include about one-third of all women and one-quarter…
Domestic Violence Protesters Attack Candidate for Governor
Former senator Clayton Hee has found his campaign for governor besieged by an unexpected foe — a political action committee (PAC) focused on the fight against domestic violence in Hawaii. The PAC placed over 100 brightly-colored signs all over Oahu that associate Hee with domestic violence. Domestic violence has been a hot-button issue in Hawaii in recent months due a…
Hawaii’s New Domestic Violence Bill Expected to Fail
Some recent tragedies have pushed domestic violence to the forefront of many Hawaiian minds. Reform efforts have also been underway in the state as lawmakers sought to pass a bill aimed at making prosecution easier in domestic cases. Unfortunately, the current bill...
Hawaii Police Accused of Hiding Domestic Violence by Officer
Did the Honolulu police force cover up the domestic abuse committed by one of its own? That’s the allegation of one officer’s wife. An agent working for Immigration and Customs (ICE) herself, the woman claims that she was a victim of spousal abuse for years. Even now,...
Emotional Abuse and Its Subtle Signs
It’s usually easy to recognize the signs of physical abuse. Emotional abuse, though, is often hidden so deeply that the victims and their families may not notice it. In many cases, emotional abuse is mistaken by the victim as behavior that is “caring.” Emotional abuse often occurs after an initial period of good behavior. The abuser gets the victim to…
Are You a Victim of “Gaslighting?”
You may not have heard the term, but if you are involved in an abusive relationship, it’s possible that you are very familiar with gaslighting. The term refers to a play from the 1930s where a wife is driven to the brink of madness by her husband’s manipulation of the gas-powered lights in their home. For those who are unfamiliar,…