Are you a victim of domestic violence and abuse? Violence against a spouse or partner is wrong, no matter the case. Spousal abuse is not only just physical abuse, but it can also be verbal abuse. When one spouse is calling you obscenities or hurtful names, this is considered verbal abuse. While it is harder for someone to be punished for verbal abuse (it is difficult to prove), it still causes great harm to the victim, and this behavior can be verified in many ways.
Furthermore, not everyone reacts the same way to verbal abuse – another can laugh off hurtful words to one person. So, this lack of a clear definition of verbal abuse can further complicate the efforts to address verbal abuse in your case. If a man, for example, verbally abused his wife in the past, it may be hard for her to prove it in court simply because she has tolerated it.
The only way that verbal abuse is likely to result in a penalty is if it occurs along with threats of physical abuse or if it is happening in front of your children. In this case, the judge could see verbal abuse as heightening the intensity of physical abuse, and both would be punished accordingly.
Preventing and addressing domestic violence is a very high priority in divorce cases and takes precedence over all family court systems. Help is available to you, and you do not need to remain silent and deal with the abuse. Remember, just because you do not have bruises does not mean that you are not hurting. The courts understand this and want to help you. If you want the assistance of a knowledgeable divorce attorney, give Shaffer Family Law a call at (480) 470-3030 today.