As a HOPE Fellow, Ariel worked with young women in Miami-Dade County who, due to lack of
resources, found themselves in abusive relationships. At the Dade County Bar Association’s Legal Aid Office, these young women are provided with legal representation and an opportunity to
improve their lives. One client sought the help of Legal Aid after being choked, beaten and threatened by her boyfriend. This client was only 17 years old. Ariel assisted with this case, and under the direction of experienced domestic violence attorneys, was permitted to attend court hearings and help secure a restraining order ensuring that the client would never have to suffer at the hands of that young man again.

Ariel also worked with Legal Aid’s family division, where she and her supervising attorneys assisted indigent clients with dissolution of marriage claims, as well as paternity, child custody, child support and alimony issues. Ariel was particularly devoted to the female clients who were in need of legal assistance. Many women seek assistance from Legal Aid after their husbands abandon them, leaving these women with the responsibility of raising their young children, but without the funds to do so. Often times, domestic abuse is a factor in these cases as well. Ariel worked with many of these indigent women to help secure records of the husband’s payroll information in order to create child support guidelines. Ariel also conducted client interviews to better understand the details of any domestic violence issues in the marriage, so that this information could be submitted as evidence of the need for support. The indigent women who seek assistance from Legal Aid have no other avenues for relief. It is the hard work provided by Legal Aid attorneys, as well as HOPE Fellows like Ariel, that makes the difference in the lives of these women and their families. This Fall, Ariel will continue her work through the implementation of a domestic violence initiative for student volunteers. For more information, please email umhope@law.miami.edu