Divorce is difficult enough to face without adding the additional stress and emotion of divorcing a verbally abusive man. Unfortunately, not all relationships reach an amicable ending; many woman leave because of physical or verbal abuse. Once the marriage is over you want to move on with your life and put the past and your abusive marriage behind you, but oftentimes abusive men do not make this easy for their ex-wives. Sometimes, the only action you can take to handle an abusive ex-husband is legal action.
Step 1
File a police report to document every instance of verbal abuse you face from your ex-husband. Legally, you cannot do anything to protect yourself from your ex unless the verbal abuse you are experiencing is in the form of threats where he threatens to harm you or your children in any way.
Step 2
Request a restraining order by going to the clerk of court in the county where you live, where your ex-husband lives or where the abuse occurred. Ask the clerk for the forms required to file for a protective order. A protective order is also referred to as a restraining order or an injunction.
Step 3
Complete all of the required information on the forms. This requires providing your full name, contact information, address, social security number and date of birth. You must provide any information you have about your ex-husband as well.
Step 4
Provide details of the verbal abuse; include dates, details of what type of threats were spoken to you and police report information if you filed a police report.
Step 5
Sign the forms and give them to the clerk to file. A court appearance will then be scheduled. You and your ex will be notified of the scheduled court date and are required to appear. Here you will present any evidence you have regarding the abuse you faced by your ex-husband and a judge will decide whether or not to grant your request for a protective order.
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Writer Bio
Tiffany Raiford has several years of experience writing freelance. Her writing focuses primarily on articles relating to parenting, pregnancy and travel. Raiford is a graduate of Saint Petersburg College in Florida.