My husband threatened to kill me if I divorce him

Divorce is always an unpleasant subject to deal with, but undoubtedly the ugliest aspect of this situation is when one of the individuals threatens to either injure or even kill their soon-to-be ex-partner. If your husband threatened to kill you if you divorce him, there are certain steps you need to take.

What do I do if my husband threatened to kill me if I divorce him?

In the vast majority of the cases (85-15 percent), the woman is under the biggest threat. The reality is that the first two weeks after a person leaves their partner, they are 70 times more likely to be killed than at during any other period. The numbers are stark: from 2001-12, there were 11,766 women killed by either their ex-partner or by their husband

Thus, women are especially vulnerable in this domestic war, so a plan of action needs to be undertaken to remain protected—both physically and legally. Some of the things you can do are:

• Contact police immediately so that charges can be filed against your partner, which could range to anything from intimidation to attempted murder, if warranted. While there’s no guarantee that the partner will be arrested, it will make police aware of the situation.
• Contact a local domestic violence shelter. They are familiar with this type of situation and can either offer advice or they have programs that will benefit you. These include helping find you a place to stay by working with the social services department in their area to seek temporary housing. In some cases, the shelter can have someone escort you to court for any hearings related to your situation.
• If you’re working, make your employer aware of the situation in the event your partner attempts to cause trouble there. This helps create greater awareness in order to aid in the safety of not only yourself, but your fellow workers.
• Obtaining legal services should also be at the top of any list, since a lawyer will be able to not only help you file for divorce, but obtain the necessary legal orders you’ll need. The most important of these is a temporary protection or restraining order that legally prevents a husband (or wife) from coming into contact with you.

If children are involved, temporary orders for custody and child support can also be obtained by your attorney.

The pain of divorce is agonizing enough without having to deal with the psychological terror connected to death threats. If your husband threatened to kill you, following the above steps will help alleviate problems before it’s too late.

Call 562-431-4333 or contact us online now to speak to an attorney like Ann Thomson (Seal Beach family law attorney) about getting an order of protection throughout your divorce.