If you are living with an abusive spouse, you do not have to stay. The law has protections, and the police will help enforce those protections. However, you need to understand what could happen, and then, plan how to stop your spouse.
Economic abuse
If your case is typical, the first form of abuse your spouse will employ after you leave is economic abuse. At first, this will be to freeze or lock you out of the accounts you have access to, including your bank accounts, credit cards, brokerage accounts, etc. Whatever accounts they know about, they will immediately try to access.
Legal abuse
Your soon-to-be ex-spouse will also likely try to abuse the legal process. This could mean filing for a protective order against you, or even making false child abuse reports. You will also notice that, suddenly, they will act like an angel when they are around you and in public. This is because they are building an alternative narrative to gaslight you and everyone else into believing that they are the victim, not you. You may even be accused of parental alienation because you are being protective.
Isolation
The abuser will also try to isolate you from your friends and family. They will try to twist the situation around to make you the bad guy. They will defame your name and spread rumors to you co-workers, friends and even, your family. They may even take over your social media to further that narrative and destroy your relationships.
Planning is key
The key to stopping this is to plan ahead with your lawyer. Have your protective order ready. Make sure you have sole access to your smart devices and social media. Make sure you have accounts that you only have access to, and talk with your lawyer which accounts you can liquidate or split prior to leaving. Make sure you have the plan fully flushed out before leaving, unless it is no longer safe for you to be there, then your attorney can also help get you out faster.
