Just about every little girl in Connecticut dreams of growing up, meeting Prince Charming and living happily ever after. For some, this fairy tale does appear to become reality; they grow up, marry and grow old with their spouse. For others, this fairy tale quickly turns into a nightmare as the fairy tale ends and domestic violence becomes their reality.
The phrase “domestic violence” often brings to mind allegations of physical abuse. However, that is only a small part of the total domestic violence picture. The majority of domestic violence incidents involve financial abuse.
Financial abuse can take on various forms. For instance, in some cases, the abuser controls all the money. Funds are then doled out as he or she determines necessary. In other cases, the abuser actually steals their spouse’s identity by opening credit accounts in the spouse’s name without their knowledge. In this manner, the abuser can then ruin the spouse’s credit and thus prevent him or her from being able to obtain credit if he or she tries to leave.
Yet another method of financial abuse is in not allowing the spouse to obtain or maintain employment. Many times, the abuser will harass his or her spouse while at work, causing trouble for the spouse. In other cases, the abuser will prevent the spouse from being able to obtain a job at all. Both situations have the same end result – the spouse is unable to support himself or herself outside of the relationship.
Domestic violence is a problem in more homes than the average Connecticut resident would think. If one finds themselves the victim of domestic violence, it would be wise to seek legal counsel to determine the best way to resolve the problem. Assistance is available both through the court system and through various statewide agencies.
Source: The Huffington Post, “Empowering Women Affected by Domestic Violence”, Nov. 18, 2016
