Is economic abuse domestic violence?

On Behalf of Kirsch Daskas Law Group | Aug 27, 2020 | Criminal Defense 

In your home, you’ve always had one rule, and that was that only one person would be in charge of the finances. The reason for this was to prevent either of you from overspending. There was only one debit card and one credit card that both of you would use, and the shared accounts were easier to manage with these set up in this manner. 

You always felt that this was an appropriate method to prevent overdrafts and overspending, especially with your spouse’s history of impulse buying. One night, you had a serious argument about an item they wanted to buy because it was expensive. It would use a lot of your savings, and you didn’t think it was a smart purchase. You took the debit card out of their hand and refused to return it as they demanded. Your spouse was extremely angry and upset and left the home.

A short time, the police were at your door. You had been accused of domestic violence and preventing your spouse from accessing her account. Now, you could face charges and are completely embarrassed by what’s happening.

Economic abuse does come in many forms, and withholding a person’s money (and controlling it) could constitute abuse. At the same time, if you are held to the same standards, such as having to discuss a purchase before it’s made, then you have a good case to show that you were just doing as you both agreed. Showing that you both do have access to funds and that both of you take an allowance, for example, may also help your case.

This is a tricky situation and you need to be cautious. If you’re unfairly accused of domestic abuse, contact an experienced attorney right away.