The Occupational Therapist’s Role in Family Violence Cases

Family violence leaves deep and lasting impacts on survivors and their children. In the aftermath of such trauma, you might first think of counselors or doctors for help—but an often overlooked professional can also play a crucial role: the occupational therapist (OT). OTs are health experts in daily living who help people function in their home and work lives. This means they have a unique part to play in helping family violence survivors both heal and seek justice. In this post, we'll explore in a down-to-earth way what an OT does for survivors of domestic abuse and how their unbiased assessments can support both recovery and legal cases.

Assessing Everyday Life After Abuse

When you work with an occupational therapist, they will look at how you manage everyday activities that most people take for granted. Because OTs train in physical, cognitive, and mental health, they can understand how domestic abuse impacts all areas of a survivor’s life. They will ask about or observe how you carry out routine tasks – for example: Can you dress, bathe, or cook for yourself without pain or difficulty? How are you handling household chores or taking care of your children? Are you able to go to work or school and stay focused on what’s meaningful at any moment of your day? By taking this holistic look at your day-to-day routines (what OTs often call a functional assessment), the therapist gets a clear picture of where you're struggling in daily life. In fact, domestic violence often disrupts these basic abilities — it can even impair a survivor's ability to keep working a job or finish their education.

OTs also consider the cognitive side of things — in other words, how your thinking and memory are working after the abuse. This might involve a cognitive assessment, but there's no need to worry about complex tests or technical jargon. It often feels like a conversation or simple tasks that show how well you can concentrate, remember information, or solve everyday problems. Many survivors experience brain fog or anxiety, and some have injuries like concussions that lead to memory loss or trouble concentrating. For example, if you’ve been hit on the head or under extreme stress, you might find yourself forgetting appointments or feeling confused at work. An OT understands these challenges. They’re not there to judge you; instead, they want to pinpoint exactly how the abuse has affected your body and mind, so those effects can be properly addressed.

Unbiased, Professional Insight for Legal Cases

One of the most important qualities an OT brings is an objective, unbiased perspective. While they are compassionate professionals, they maintain neutrality when conducting assessments. In a legal context, the OT acts as an independent expert who documents the facts about what you can and cannot do. Medical-legal occupational therapists are trained to base their opinions on solid evidence rather than emotion or advocacy. For survivors, this can be reassuring – you get to tell your story through your daily challenges, and you know the findings will be respected because they’re grounded in reality. For attorneys and courts, an OT’s report carries weight precisely because it is unbiased and focused on the functional truth of the survivor’s condition.

After evaluating your situation, the occupational therapist will prepare a detailed report covering all aspects of how the violence has affected you. Because their assessment takes into account physical limitations, cognitive difficulties, emotional well-being and even vocational needs, it provides a clear, holistic picture of the impact of the abuse on your life. This comprehensive evaluation isn’t just about the present moment; it also considers what you might need in the future as you recover (for example, ongoing therapy or adaptive equipment). In other words, nothing is left out or underestimated – the OT’s expertise is invaluable for understanding and quantifying how an injury has changed a person’s life. All of these findings are translated into plain language and concrete terms that make sense to everyone, including judges and lawyers.

For a lawyer, having this kind of objective, detailed evidence can make all the difference in negotiating a fair settlement or presenting a strong case in court. For a survivor, it means your everyday struggles — like an inability to work full-time or the need to hire help at home — are being recognized and given value in the legal process. For example, if the OT’s report shows that because of your injuries you’ll need six months of rehabilitation and can’t perform certain job duties during that time, those needs can be factored into the compensation you seek. Ultimately, the OT’s findings help ensure you’re not shortchanged: they bring to light both the obvious and the hidden ways the violence has impacted your life, now and moving forward.

Moving Forward: Reach Out for Support

You don’t have to navigate life after family violence alone. Engaging an occupational therapist to assess your situation can be a powerful step toward both healing and justice. If you or your legal counsel would like to explore this process further, our doors are open. We invite survivors and attorneys alike to reach out and ask questions about how our occupational therapy services can support you. Your journey to recovery is important, and an unbiased OT assessment might be the missing piece that helps you get the care, support, and compensation you deserve. Feel free to contact us to discuss how we can assist you or your client – we’re here to help.