Women, Poverty, and Domestic Violence: Perceptions of Court and Legal Aid Effectiveness

Abstract

This study bridges a gap between research on access to justice for the poor, women’s victimization, and procedural justice by examining factors that shape poor women’s perception of the court’s effectiveness in dealing with domestic violence. Drawing on both survey and interview data gathered from clients of a federally funded clinic run by the Legal Aid Society, analyses reveal that clients are generally satisfied with and confident in the ability of the court, Legal Aid, and other institutions. Furthermore, it is revealed that mental/verbal abuse, a belief in the importance of the court in solving marital problems, and faith in procedural justice predict the perception that the court is effective in dealing with domestic violence, and that the effectiveness of other institutions is mitigated by several combinations of these and other factors. Moreover, clients are satisfied that the court’s treatment of women in particular is even‐handed, but not satisfied by its treatment of poor people (regardless of gender). Combined, these findings suggest that the relationships between gender, class, and assessments of procedural justice are nuanced, with class playing a more pronounced role.