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A LEGAL HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE is designed to provide women of New Hampshire with information about state and federal laws related to:

• Education
• Employment
• Housing
• Sexual violence
• Family law
• Criminal law

An extensive Resource Directory provides information on low-cost and pro bono legal services, a listing of New Hampshire superior, district, and family courts, and contact information for other useful agencies and organizations. A glossary of terms, found at the back of the Handbook, provides an easy-to-use reference for unfamiliar legal terms. Terms in bold throughout the Handbook are defined in the Glossary.

The goal of the Handbook is to provide basic knowledge of the law to women in the state. It is meant to serve as a starting point for women who need to take legal action for themselves or for their families. No special legal training is required to use this Handbook.

WHILE THE HANDBOOK MAY CONTAIN ANSWERS TO LEGAL QUESTIONS, IT IS NOT A COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE LAW, AND IT WILL NOT REPLACE THE SERVICES OF A LAWYER. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS SEEK LEGAL ADVICE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION.

The Handbook has been revised this year partly to recognize and incorporate certain issues that are relevant and important to immigrant women. Immigrant women are women from other countries who have entered the United States. Immigrants can be documented or undocumented (see Glossary for more information). The Handbook attempts to address issues facing women from both perspectives.

The material in this Handbook was current as of November 2003. Changes in legislation can occur at any time. Please contact the agencies involved if you have any questions about the material or to verify that the laws described in this Handbook have not changed. New Hampshire statutes also are available at the New Hampshire state website.

The New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women is deeply grateful to the many individuals and organizations involved in the publication of A LEGAL HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE.

Theresa de Langis, Ph.D., Executive Director

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Lucy Hodder, Chair

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Elizabeth Paine, Chair, Civil & Political Rights Committee

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Lillye Ramos-Spooner, Commissioner

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Jane Stapleton, Commissioner

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Jessica Stern, Commissioner

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Ronna Wise, Commissioner

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Pat Yosha, Vice Chair

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Joan Bishop, Court Clerk Coordinator

Superior Court, Judicial Branch

Heidi Boyack, Administrator

Family Division Pilot Project, Judicial Branch

Honorable Susan B. Carbon, Supervisory Judge

Grafton County Family Division

Cindee Carter, Assistant Pro Bono Coordinator

New Hampshire Bar Association

Katharine Daly, Executive Director

New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights

Pamela Dodge, DOVE Coordinator and Assistant Pro Bono Coordinator

New Hampshire Bar Association

Gina Grappone, Training and Standards Coordinator

Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence

Linda Griebsch, Public Policy Director

Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence

Bonnie Herrick, Community Services Coordinator

Sexual Assault Support Services

Marilyn Mahoney, Esquire

Harvey and Mahoney, P.A.

Virginia Martin, Associative Executive Director for Legal Services

New Hampshire Bar Association

Sandy Matheson, Director of Victim Witness Advocacy

Department of Justice Office of Victim Witness Assistance

Susan McKevitt, Administrator

Department of Education

Lauren Thorne, Esquire

District Court, Judicial Branch

To respond to the changing demographics of New Hampshire, the Handbook has been expanded to include material especially useful to immigrants and refugee women. We would like to acknowledge the following individuals for their indispensable aid with this information.

Florentina Dinu, Medical Interpretation Services Coordinator

Southern NH Area Health Education Center

Francisca Mathes

NAMI New Hampshire

Melanie Ryan, Esquire

International Institute of New Hampshire

Barbara Seebart, State Refugee Coordinator

Governor's Office of Energy and Community Services

Corrine Stahr, Outreach Employee

Latin American Center

Other individuals and organizations without whose contributions and efforts the Handbook would not be possible include Elliot Barry, Melissa Cordner, Kelly Desmarais, Janet F. De Vito, Robert R. Howard III, Deborah Luppold, Raymond Perry, Olivia A. Ruel, PhD, Katie Dunn, MPH, Mary Searles, Kristin Spanos, Richard Cohen, and the fourteen statewide crisis centers.

The Commission on the Status of Women thanks Jennifer Holmes for updating law included in the present edition of the Handbook. We also acknowledge those who took time to write, edit, or review previous editions of the Handbook in 1997 and 2000.

The publication of this edition of A LEGAL HANDBOOK FOR WOMEN IN NEW HAMPSHIRE has been made possible through funds from the New Hampshire Bar Foundation's Justice Grant and from the U.S. Department of Justice's Violence Against Women Act Grant. The on-going support of these two organizations demonstrates a deep commitment to equal treatment under the law regardless of gender.

Table of Contents

EQUAL PROTECTION UNDER THE LAW
EMPLOYMENT
EDUCATION
HOUSING
ABUSIVE BEHAVIORS
FAMILY LAW (INCLUDING A DIRECTORY OF SUPERVISED VISITATION CENTERS AND DIVISION OF CHILD SUPPORT SERVICES)
CRIMINAL LAW (INCLUDING A DIRECTORY OF VICTIM/WITNESS ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS)
THE RESOURCE DIRECTORY
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
DIRECTORY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE CRISIS CENTERS