A spouse that commits emotional abuse is trying to break you down. They want you to feel trapped, but you are not trapped. You can get away from them by divorcing them. Our Nassau County divorce lawyers can help you.
What Qualifies as Emotional Abuse?
There are many different behaviors that can be considered emotional abuse. For the most part, if a spouse is doing something that isolates you from others or makes you afraid in your own home, they are emotionally abusing you. They may yell at you or not allow you to take part in activities you once loved. They could threaten you or even gaslight you into thinking that their bad behavior is your fault. It can be difficult to escape such a situation.
How Does Emotional Abuse Affect a Marriage?
Emotional abuse is meant to isolate you. You are cut off from others and you can even be cut off from your own money and assets. You become completely reliant on the person committing the abuse.
Emotional abuse can easily escalate into physical abuse. It can also cause all sorts of mental and emotional issues in the abused, including:
- Paranoia
- Panic attacks
- Social anxiety
- Depression
- Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD
- Chronic stress
This kind of abuse can also cut people off from their support networks, like their family members and friends. In fact, that is usually a goal of emotional abusers.
Can You Prove Emotional Abuse in Court?
If you want to prove emotional abuse in court, you will have to gather as much evidence as you can. Abusive spouses try to be careful, but they can sometimes slip up. Some useful evidence of abuse can include:
- Recordings of verbal abuse
- Emails, text messages, and other correspondence that shows how your spouse really speaks to you
- A timeline of events that shows a pattern of abuse
How Can Abuse Affect the Outcome of My Case?
When you show a consistent pattern of emotional abuse, that is likely to work out in your favor when the terms of the divorce are set. Courts do not have any tolerance for abuse. If your spouse has also been keeping you isolated and cut off your access to any marital assets in the months preceding the divorce, that is going to reflect extremely poorly on them.
A partner who is emotionally abusive could also be less likely to get custody of any children. There are many factors to weigh, but you can be nearly certain that this bad behavior will count against your spouse.
Talk to an Experienced Lawyer Today
When you are ready to file for divorce, do not waste any more time. Contact Peter V. Mandi & Associates, Inc. and schedule a consultation with our team. The first consultation is free. We just want to take a look at your situation and tell you more about how we can help.
