MulanJohns

Please, do not listen to Naysayers. Moreso, your country of Origin is not a High-fraud (I am assuming Germany) zone.
1. An attorney does not guarantee that you will be approved. Matter of fact, I realized that everything they do, you can do on your own. Every little bit of it. Why? Because they are not even going there to argue anything for you.
I am responding as someone who was once in your shoes: Yes, 3 lawyers told me my case was very weak- lack of police records or physical abuse. If your spouse takes your travel documents, for me it was worse than a beating. The third lawyer (Catholic charities) gave me 5 minutes and told me "With your misdemeanor record, you will never be granted VAWA".
Well, let my timeline show you how it went down once I believed in myself.
You are the one who knows the pain of your story. Sit down, explain PROBATIVELY what happened. There was an organization in Carlifornia (online) that guided me on how to write my statement. Google "writing a vawa affidavit". How the relationship grew and blew over. Of course your own effort to protect yourself must be also shown.
Honesty and thorough explanation is what helped me, I believe. I had nothing from the police or hospital. I could not afford. Just my statement and those who saw it unfold.
Do not let anyone undermine your pain.
Good luck.

The abortion should be one of your strong points and then his' drug problem (and the fact that he kept this info away from you). It will be more better if you can find someone or something that proves that record too. If you talked to anyone about the abortion, let them write about it.
Note: The big thing I noticed with VAWA cases is that you shud never go on record and fail to substantiate. Read the denied cases and see what VAWA applicants failed (most with attorneys) to provide. Also remember to be very keen with what u send/say. Infact, each time I sent something, I cross checked to make sure that if it is mentioned elsewhere, there are no holes. They will dig your whole record from the day you set foot in this country. Don't give anything you can not explain.
Pls also note that am basically writing from my own experience, two lawyers told me previously my case was tooo weak because I had no medical records (visited a counsellor once, that was it) or police reports. Thing is, I had other misfortunes in tow, I had to push the counselling thing to the back. I send in the record to show why I did not try following up initially. I knew what I knew in my heart, so I believed myself, and with God's mercy, I got approved in 6 months. Keep vigil of your case, some attorneys are not very keen/knowleadgeable of what they say.

Please, do not listen to Naysayers. Moreso, your country of Origin is not a High-fraud (I am assuming Germany) zone.
1. An attorney does not guarantee that you will be approved. Matter of fact, I realized that everything they do, you can do on your own. Every little bit of it. Why? Because they are not even going there to argue anything for you.
I am responding as someone who was once in your shoes: Yes, 3 lawyers told me my case was very weak- lack of police records or physical abuse. If your spouse takes your travel documents, for me it was worse than a beating. The third lawyer (Catholic charities) gave me 5 minutes and told me "With your misdemeanor record, you will never be granted VAWA".
Well, let my timeline show you how it went down once I believed in myself.
You are the one who knows the pain of your story. Sit down, explain PROBATIVELY what happened. There was an organization in Carlifornia (online) that guided me on how to write my statement. Google "writing a vawa affidavit". How the relationship grew and blew over. Of course your own effort to protect yourself must be also shown.
Honesty and thorough explanation is what helped me, I believe. I had nothing from the police or hospital. I could not afford. Just my statement and those who saw it unfold.
Do not let anyone undermine your pain.
Good luck.