Property

You mentioned that you’re thinking about leaving, or having your abuser leave, but you’re not sure where to go from here. One thing to think about, especially if you will need financial support, is trying to get access to financial records. Do you know where financial records are kept? Do you have safe access to them? If so, you might want to think about making copies of those records and putting them in a safe place, where your abuser won’t know about (but that you can easily get to quickly if you have to leave). You may want to think about getting a bank safe deposit box, as a safe place to put this stuff. These boxes cost about $30 a year. If you can afford one, it can be handy. Some things you may want to keep a copy of include:

• birth certificates and social security cards for your whole family
• insurance cards for your whole family
• copies of your checking account, savings account, and credit card numbers
• copies of any stock or mutual fund records
• loan/mortgage information
• your most recent credit report
• tax returns for the past 2 years
• car title
• deed to your house or lease if you rent
• retirement plan statements
• photos of your family’s most valuable assets (a nice car, nice jewelry, anything you think is worth a fair amount of money)

If you think your abuser will not notice, you can also take the originals. If there’s a chance he would notice and that would put you in danger, though, just take a copy.

If you can, also find out:

• how much your abuser makes (both salary and any money he gets from any rental property). A good place to look is last year’s tax return
• how much money is in all accounts – savings, checking, investments, retirement accounts – and how much money is owed – credit card debt, how much you owe on your mortgage, car, etc.

These financial records and information can be vital to getting a fair divorce settlement and financial support.

Also, make a plan for how you will financially make it once you’ve left. Talking with a lawyer about things like how much you could get in a divorce, child support, and spousal support might be important. But also figuring out how to make ends meet until that time – and to know that not everybody gets spousal support. Your local domestic violence program can help you figure out your options. We have lists of domestic violence programs (as well as legal resources) here: [INSERT STATE AND LOCAL PROGRAMS]

Also, the National Domestic Violence Hotline can connect you directly with someone in your area who can help you
– 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

Oftentimes, in divorce cases, getting a lawyer can really help. If you can afford a lawyer, a lawyer referral service can help you find a lawyer who has experience in this area of law. If you can’t afford one, you may be able to get help from legal aid, who provides free or low-cost legal help in some cases. If they can’t help you, they might be able to refer you to someone who can take your case on a sliding scale fee or for free. Some legal aid organizations that can give referrals don’t advertise that they do - be sure to specifically ask for a referral if you need one. Shelters and other domestic violence organizations may also be able to provide you with a referral. You may also want to try any law schools in your area because sometimes they have legal clinics and can take cases for free. You’ll find contact information for legal aid lawyers and a lawyer referral number for your state here: [INSERT FINDING A LAWYER]