Financial violence between spouses
In recent years, awareness in Israel has increased of cases of Domestic violence And as awareness increased, so did the number of calls to helplines for women suffering from violence.
It is important to understand that violence between partners can manifest itself in a variety of forms and is not always audible or visible. Especially not when it comes to economic violence, where it is much more difficult to recognize the warning signs, and even after they are identified, the woman suffering from economic violence is not always willing to take action to eradicate it.
As of last year, the Women’s Spirit Association reported that over 200,000 women in Israel reported that they suffered from economic violence, and according to estimates, in reality the numbers are double that.
Whether economic violence arose against a background of class disparities, for example in cases where the man is the main or sole breadwinner and the woman is a housewife, or whether the violence developed in a family where the financial situation of both partners was excellent, economic violence hurts those who suffer from it greatly.
Incidentally, we can see more and more cases of economic violence. When it comes to divorce of couples from the top decile, in which case the parties involved in the divorce process attempt to use manipulation and financial intimidation to gain an advantage as part of the divorce strategy and with the aim of weakening and belittling the future divorcee.
Either way, to combat the phenomenon, there are several steps that need to be taken, the first of which is to identify the distress and admit the problem.
In the review before you, the lawyer explains Sharon faculty About the signs by which economic violence can be identified and offers ways that will help you deal with economic violence and, hopefully, remove it from your life immediately.
Warning signs that must be heeded
Economic violence can exist from the very beginning of a relationship or appear after a financial crisis in the marriage. It is characterized by forceful, aggressive, belittling, humiliating, and violent behavior, usually by the husband towards the wife, and this is in everything related to the financial aspect, but not only.
Economic violence is sometimes also accompanied by With violence verbal, emotional, physical, mental or sexual, and what all cases have in common is the fact that the relationships of dependence that economic violence creates increase and intensify as time passes.
As mentioned, one of the difficulties that characterizes economic violence is the difficulty in identifying it. Many women who suffer from economic violence are not even aware of the problem and do not see themselves as victims.
Sentences like “He’s thrifty,” “I’m not good with money anyway,” “It’s better for him to manage the finances at home because I’m a spendthrift,” and so on, are heard casually by women, and in most of them, the husband is not stingy, but simply violent.
The signs that indicate that economic violence is indeed occurring are that the woman does not know what her husband’s financial situation is and has no idea what is happening. In the shared account , that he blocks her access to her bank account, credit and checks, secretly manages bank accounts and assets, exclusively controls funds (even those she brings in), only he makes financial decisions and she is never a part of them.
Also, additional signs that can indicate economic violence are when all assets are registered in the husband’s name alone, when he takes control of shared assets through lies, does not give the wife any money at all, not even for medical needs, and forbids her from studying, going out to work, or acquiring an education.
In addition, economic violence is characterized by the atmosphere at home for both the woman and the children being a frightening atmosphere accompanied by economic threats.
He acts aggressively and throws away products she buys, forces her to inform him of every expense, even the smallest one, every expense causes anger, he creates debts in her name and forces her to agree to it, the house lacks basic products and the children live in severe financial distress, and so on.
How to act to stop the violence?
The warning signs described above are just some of the signs that indicate that economic violence does exist, and this is the place to tell women who suffer from economic violence or violence of any other kind – do not continue to suffer, you must not remain silent, and you are not alone.
In order to prevent economic violence, it is highly recommended to act independently from the start, which means registering assets jointly, demanding full access to the bank account, and monitoring income and expenses, both joint and those that each spouse makes individually.
A recent study shows that a third of families in Israel are managed financially by the man alone, which initially puts the woman in a disadvantaged position and opens the door to unequal and power-based relationships, in which the roles are clear from the start, the man dominates and the woman is dominated.
We will not dwell on the serious consequences of unequal relationships in general, but rather focus on the fact that when a woman suffers from financial inequality, or in its full name, from economic violence, she must under no circumstances continue to suffer and must understand that the situation requires treatment, and better yet, one hour earlier.
When the situation deteriorates and economic violence becomes routine, it is very important to consult with relevant parties, including the Women’s Spirit Association and/or Experienced divorce lawyer.
In any case, there is no reason to be stressed even if the husband tries to scare you into breaking up by making threats and creating anxiety around the financial issue.
For example, intimidation such as, “If you separate from me, I will make sure that you and the children live in poverty, I will not pay you spousal support, I will not pay you child support, and so on.”
It is worth knowing that there are protections in place in the law that are designed to prevent cases of domestic violence, and the courts in Israel see this as The welfare of the children is the top priority. And they treat cases of domestic violence in general and cases of economic violence in particular with great severity.
To sum up the matter, we will clarify that there is no reason for any woman (or man) to suffer from violence, and if all attempts to address the problem peacefully are unsuccessful, it is worth considering divorce and in any case, do not make decisions without consulting a lawyer first.
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