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PREFACE

A Legal Handbook For Women In New Hampshire is designed to provide
the women of New Hampshire with information about state and federal laws
related to:

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

An extensive Resource Directory (found at the back of the Handbook) 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 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. Please seek legal advice for your particular situation.

This Handbook has been revised to include the many changes to New Hampshire
Law, most especially with respect to Family Law and Interpersonal Violence.
Support services in all areas have also significantly changed since our
last revision. Past revisions of the Handbook recognized and incorporated
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 June 2009. 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 at www.nh.gov.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The Commission on the Status of Women thanks Abigail Moynihan, who while a Franklin
Pierce Law Center Federal Work Study Program student, updated law to the Family
Law chapter included in the present edition of the handbook

The New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women is deeply grateful to the
many individuals and organizations involved in the revision and publication of this
edition of A Legal Handbook For Women In New Hampshire.

Sylvia E. Gale, Executive Director

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Nancy A. Normand, Program Assistant

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Marilyn Mahoney, Attorney, Harvey and Mahoney, PA,

Vice-Chair New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Sandy Matheson, Director of Victim Witness Advocacy, NH Department of

Justice, Office of Victim Witness Assistance, and Commissioner
New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Linda Gathright, Commissioner

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Louise Graham, Treasurer

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Gyme Hardy, Ph.D., Commissioner

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Elizabeth Corell, Former Commissioner

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Pat Yosha, Former Commissioner

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Amanda Grady, Public Policy Director

New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence

Jennifer Durant, Public Policy Specialist

New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence

Elliott Berry, Attorney, New Hampshire Legal Assistance

Cathy J. Green, Attorney, Green & Utter, PA

Barbara Keshen, Attorney, New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union

Robin McGlone, AmeriCorps Victim Assistance Program

Alison M. Minutelli, Attorney, Wadleigh, Starr & Peters, P.L.L.C.

Dean B. Eggert, Attorney, Wadleigh, Starr & Peters, P.L.L.C.

Joni Esperian, Attorney, Executive Director

New Hampshire Human Rights Commission

We also acknowledge those who took time to write, edit, or review previous
editions of the Handbook in 1997, 2000, and 2004. The New Hampshire Commission
on the Status of Women is deeply grateful to the many individuals and
organizations who have been involved in the publication of A Legal Handbook For Women In New Hampshire, including the following:

Theresa de Langis, Ph.D., Former Executive Director

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Lucy Hodder, Former Chair

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Elizabeth Paine, Former Commissioner

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Lillye Ramos-Spooner, Former Commissioner

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Jane Stapleton, Former Commissioner

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Jessica Stern, Former Commissioner

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Ronna Wise, Former Commissioner

New Hampshire Commission on the Status of Women

Joan Bishop, Heidi Boyack, Susan B. Carbon, Cindee Carter, Katharine Daly,
Pamela Dodge, Gina Grappone, Linda Gribsch, Bonnie Herrick, Virginia
Martin, Susan McKevitt, Lauren Thorne, Floretina Dinu, Francisca Mathes,
Melanie Ryan, Barbara Seebart, Corrine Stahr, Melissa Cordner, Kelly
Desmarais, Janet F. DeVito, Robert R. Howard III, Deborah Luppold, Raymond
Perry, Olivia A. Ruel, PhD, Katie Dunn, MPH, Mary Searles, Kristin Spanos,
Richard Cohen, Jennifer Holmes and the fourteen statewide crisis centers.