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Financial Safety Planning

What is Financial Abuse?

Like physical abuse, financial abuse often begins subtly and progresses over time. Financial abuse occurs in nearly all cases of domestic violence, often trapping the victim in the relationship.

Examples of financial abuse include abusers…

  • Controlling how money is spent
  • Making all the financial decisions
  • Withholding money or ‘giving an allowance’
  • Not allowing their partner to work, earn money, or go to school, including forbidding or sabotaging these efforts
  • Forcing their partner to work in an industry or location where they do not want to work
  • Withholding basic living resources, including medication, food, etc.
  • Stealing money, identity, credit, property, etc., including forcing the victim to sign over assets or file fraudulent legal or tax documents
  • Destroying credit or credibility, including overusing credit or reporting they are ‘cheating’ to public benefits office

What does a healthy financial relationship look like?

All partners…

  • Have access to financial statements and information, although one partner might manage the finances.
  • Feel safe to identify and voice when they have different values about money and negotiate financial goals.
  • Recognize and respect that decision-making is equal, regardless of who earns more income.
  • Can have access to money on their own.
  • Are knowledgeable about how money is spent.

Safety-Planning and Finances

You know your situation best. If you are concerned about your relationship, the U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline provides free, confidential, and compassionate support, crisis intervention information, education, and referral services in over 200 languages. Contact them by phone (1-800-799-SAFE), TTY (1-800-787-3224), chat (TheHotline.org), or text (START to 88788).

If you have legal questions, NNEDV’s WomensLaw Email Hotline provides basic legal information, referrals, and emotional support related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

While in the relationship…

  • If it’s safe to do so, put extra income (no matter how small) in a private, separate account or hiding place.
  • Have a plan of what to do if your savings are discovered.

If you choose to leave…

  • Consider taking at least half of any joint funds immediately upon leaving, or 75% if you’re leaving with children.
  • Document how these funds were spent, as you may be asked to account for expenditures at a later date.
  • Open a separate bank account.
  • Change all direct deposits and account Personal Identification Numbers (PINs).

If you’re considering disclosing the abuse…

  • Think through all the pros and cons of disclosing abuse to employers, public benefits, and housing.
  • Depending on state or territorial laws, survivors may have some protections; however, they may also experience discrimination.

Protection Orders

  • Protection (or restraining) orders can remove abusive partners from the home and prohibit them from contact.
  • They can also order temporary economic relief, including child support, spousal support, mortgage assistance, and/or rent assistance. Although allowable, not all jurisdictions regularly use this protection.

Child Support

  • You may be eligible to collect child support if you have a least one child under age 18.

Considerations

Housing…

  • If a potential landlord requires a credit check, that inquiry with the property owner’s name and location may appear on a renter’s credit report. This can inadvertently disclose a victim or survivor’s potential new address.

Computer/Internet Safety…

  • Be cautious about completing applications online.
  • Change all usernames and passwords on all online accounts (banking, email, etc.).
  • Learn more from NNEDV’s Safety Net Project (including the Survivor Toolkit).

Workplace…

  • If possible, have your telephone calls screened.
  • Consider all the pros and cons of disclosing abuse to your employer.