Violence toward a spouse, domestic partner, child or any family member is illegal and is considered a serious crime in the state of California. Domestic violence is a sad reality in our society today and in California. Domestic violence in California typically takes the form of physical, emotional or financial abuse. Contrary to popular belief, an individual doesn’t have to have bruises or outward signs of abuse to be a domestic violence victim.

According to an article on justia.com, financial abuse is defined as involving:

“stealing, manipulating another person’s bank account or financial records, withholding money for necessities, or forcing a victim to be financially dependent on the abuser.”

This type of abuse is all too familiar in today’s marriages and domestic partnerships. When you consider that one of the most given reasons for divorce is financial issues, it is no wonder that money can become a large factor in relationships. When one individual uses finances to control another, or deceives one party by spending or hiding monies that the couple counts on for their month-to-month survival, it can be extremely damaging to the relationship. In order to protect their family and find common ground for a healthy life, an abused spouse can make claims to the house, finances and even seek custody of children involved.

While financial abuse may not be the most popular or widely publicized form of domestic violence, its effects on a relationship are all too real. If you are a victim of domestic violence, the first thing you need to do is protect yourself from your abuser, get out of the situation and make the violence or abuse stop. There are many ways you can do this through the court system, including filing for a domestic violence restraining order to protect you, your family, and those residing with you. Call a Wallin & Klarich Orange County domestic violence lawyer at 888-749-7428 for more information regarding your family law dispute.