FAQs

How much do your services cost?

We believe in removing barriers that affect those leaving situations of domestic violence and coercive control. We provide low-cost, sliding-scale, and free options depending on your financial circumstances. Attorney fees in the Denver Metro Area can run in excess of $500. We aim to provide low-cost services less than half the cost of an attorney. We bundle and discount our services with intentionality to remove barriers to access. Survivors represented pro se are always moved to our sliding scale and free services, while those that have the means are provided low-cost services in package or unbundled form.

DO YOU PROVIDE THE SAME SERVICES AS A HIGH CONFLICT DIVORCE COACH?

Good question, and the answer is no. Our goal is focused on the niche of custody evaluations. In part, we believe that CFI and PRE evaluations require a certain skillset, which we’ve systematized and honed that allows for the CFI or PRE to do their investigation. Two, we aim to provide lower-cost services than what a HCDC or attorney may cost, especially for niche work that could otherwise be very costly. We will reiterate that we do not guarantee outcomes, but we do believe that support throughout the process — through writing and coaching — can make a difference in the way a PRE or CFI understands your story.

I’m interested in having you speak about domestic violence or coercive control?

We are grateful you’re taking on this important work within your organization. Please use our contact form to reach out to us. We return all emails within 24 hours.

I’m InTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE about your policy work?

We’re flattered! Please use our contact form to reach out to us. We return all emails within 24 hours.

I WANT TO BE ADDED TO YOUR PAGE AS AN EXPERT WITNESS OR EXPERT CONTACT.

We love allies. That said, we’re very stringent on who we work with due to the high-stakes nature in which survivors can be helped or harmed by professionals. Please reach out to us to discuss further.

how do i get started with getting support for my custody narrative or relocation study?

Free consultations are welcome and encouraged. Consultations help us understand the nature, scope, and timeline of your needs and whether we are a good fit for what you need. Please reach out to schedule or use our scheduling system to book a time.

When should i get started?

If you or your attorney believe a custody evaluation may be ordered in your case, reaching out at the very beginning of your case will optimize the length of time we have to capture and narrate your story detail, as well as organize key evidence related to to the case. However, we do our best to accommodate last minute and emergency requests. Our desire to support survivors and children in any way and at any time is genuine.

how much do your services cost?

It depends on income, resources, and needs. We generally find that most of “core” organizing and writing work can be done in a short timeframe. Client needs and scope of each project are discussed and agreed upon prior to commencing any work. We don’t believe in surprises (and neither should you). We take on a minimum of five pro bono cases per year. Please inquire for additional information.

MY EVALUATOR DOES NOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE OR COERCIVE CONTROL. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

This is more common than not. Despite new legislation in Colorado and in other states, there can be a lack of experience or competence in working with survivors and children. Our goal is to provide the evidence an evaluator needs to understand your lived experience and that of your children. If you believe your PRE or CFI has violated the Colorado Chief Justice Directives 21-02, please contact us. We will help you explore your options.

what makes you different than a High conflict divorce coach?

We love high-conflict divorce coaches and the wide range of coaching skills they offer clients! However, Survivor Resource Group is very narrow in scope and skill. We pride ourselves in solely working with survivors, capturing their stories in narrative form, and preparing materials for custody evaluations.

Simply put, we are skilled writers. We are skilled organizers. We are skilled at helping court professionals to see, feel, and understand what it’s like to be a survivor in a broken system.

How quickly can you start? I have an emergency need for support.

We always encourage the longest time horizon possible for writing and organizing survivor experiences and evidence. That said, we understand the nature of last minute requests to review of materials and evidence. Review of narratives and evidence already written can often be condensed within a week or two. Comprehensive narratives are best produced over the course of several weeks to a month’s time at a minimum. We welcome requests at anytime and will do what we can to help.

How do I know my story will be safe?

Signed confidentiality agreements ensure only designated parties have access to confidential materials and information. A trauma-informed and victim-centered approach is at the heart of what we do. We believe your story belongs to you. At the conclusion of services, all materials and evidence are returned to the client or attorney. Survivor Resource Group agrees not to share or reproduce any materials at any time.

Do you help abusers?

This goes without saying, but we don’t work abusers, abusers who think they are victims, or attorneys who want to distort reality for their clients or for personal gain. The family law system is filled with actors who take advantage of survivors. Our strategic mission is to help survivors and children. We dream of a world where children grow up free of abuse, and it takes all of us working together to improve outcomes for survivors and children.

Is your page an indictment of PREs and CFIS (custody evaluators)?

Not in the least. We have great respect and deference for evaluators doing this difficult, high-stakes work. We have particular respect for those who have undergone the training necessary to properly understand coercive control, domestic violence, and how this impacts children. We liken the difficult work of PREs and CFIs to digging to the bottom of a trash can that’s on fire. Survivor Resource Group’s goal is to organize materials and describe with accuracy a survivor’s experience so there the PRE or CFI can have a laser focus on getting in and out of the dumpster fire with solutions that help survivors and children.

Where are you located?

We’re based in Colorado but support survivors in all states. All coaching and meetings are conducted virtually.

OUR Beliefs

Our work with survivors is led by the following tenants. Clients and their attorneys should read and understand before soliciting services:

  1. We work with survivors only. We do not represent abusers, batterers, batterers who claim to be victims, abusers who claim to be survivors, or attorneys who encourage those with ulterior motives to capitalize on our services. In order to lift up survivors and dismantle systems that primarily harm women and children, we only work with survivors. Upon belief or discovery that a client is an abuser or their attorney has not referred a client in good faith, we agree to terminate our relationship immediately and retain all produced work.

  2. We remain fact-based. We do not fabricate, falsify, or make up narratives that are untrue. Our business and work with survivors is one of integrity and honesty. Narrating client stories with accuracy allows survivors to authentically respond when questioned or cross-examined. Credibility matters in all facets of our court system, and we stand behind our efforts to help survivors tell their stories with accuracy.

  3. We strive to be trauma-informed and research-based in all that we do. We never use the term “high conflict” in any of our work and with any clients. Abuse is not high-conflict nor is it mutual or reciprocal. The process of telling one’s story can be anxiety-provoking. Our team is trained in interviewing models that are trauma-informed and supportive.

  4. We do not offer legal advice. We will say it again (and again and again). We are not attorneys. We cannot and will not offer legal advice. We help domestic violence survivors put pen-to-paper on their experiences for custody evaluations. As such, we cannot suggest any particular strategy that will yield a particular outcome (see our legal disclaimer below). By soliciting our services, you agree to hold us harmless for the outcome of your case.

  5. We do not guarantee outcomes. We strive at every turn to improve outcomes for survivors through accurate storytelling for custody narratives and questionnaires, but we cannot guarantee a parenting time or decision-making outcome. There are many factors that come into play in cases involving custody disputes, none of which can be overcome by a single written narrative or evaluation. When you sign our engagement letter, you agree to hold us harmless for any outcomes of your case.

Solutions

Our solutions are directly linked to survivors’ experiences during the relationship, post-separation, and in the family court system.

Through a trauma-informed lens we focus on:

  1. Narrating post-separation abuse: All abusers terrorize survivors and their children in the same ways. Our writers help capture the ways in which abusers dominate their victims and perpetuate abuse in overt and covert ways. Pattern behavior is distinct and must be captured appropriately.

  2. Working through a trauma-informed lens to support survivors: We recognize many survivors have anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health conditions from years of abuse and trauma. Our team works through a trauma-informed and supportive lens to help survivors secure their credibility through language that is reflective of the perpetrator’s actions. Our language of survivorship and of protective parenting reflect why survivors do what they do.

  3. Cost-effectiveness: Survivors come from all walks of life. We aim to secure more favorable outcomes for survivors by leveling the playing field through cost-effective resource capital, writing, and material organization. Where divorce coaches lack an understanding of domestic violence and coercive control, and attorneys are too busy or expensive, we organize and narrate survivor stories in a cost-effective and timely manner.