How to stop financial abuse by your partner
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Your abusive partner may have created debt in your name without you fully knowing about or understanding the debt, or in a way that could harm your credit score or history. Learn what you can do to stop your partner from doing or continuing to do this.
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1. Fast facts
Before trying anything here, think about whether and how your partner might react if they find out that you’re trying to stop them from using a credit card or line of credit. If you’re still living with them, or believe you might be in danger of retaliation, take extra precautions.
An abusive intimate partner can use credit and debt to control or harm you or limit you financially. This can make it harder to leave the relationship. They can also harm or threaten to harm you so that they can keep control over household finances. They could limit access to your bank accounts, force (coerce) you to write bad checks or overdraft accounts, or demand that you deposit your wages, refunds, and other income into bank accounts that you can’t access.
You can make a plan in case you decide to leave your partner. But even after you’ve left the relationship, an abuser could keep trying to open new credit lines and accounts or take out loans in your name and run up debts that they don’t intend to pay back.
You can do some things to stop an abusive partner from using your bank accounts, credit cards, utility accounts, cell phone accounts, or other lines of credit. You can also do things to stop them from opening new accounts in your name without your permission.