An Edinburgh Family Law firm is raising awareness of financially controlling relationships in a bid to encourage victims to seek help.
Johnson Legal Family Law has reported that financial control is a form of domestic abuse and that it’s present in 99% of domestic abuse cases.
The Domestic Abuse (Scotland) Act 2018 states that abusive behaviour can include making someone dependent on, or subordinate to their partner, isolating them from friends and family or controlling their day-to-day activities.
Beverley Johnson, Head of Family Law and Director of Johnson Legal Family Law, said: “Financial control deprives a partner of their financial autonomy leaving them feeling isolated and lacking in confidence.
“Examples of financial control include unreasonable limits or allowances, controlling or spending your money, limiting access to accounts, a double standard on spending and sabotaging your career.”
One of Johnson Legal’s clients who was in a financially controlling relationship for over five years wants to share her story to inspire others to get the support they need.
During this relationship, *Sarah Brown, experienced emotional and financial abuse which had a significant impact on her mental health.
“At first, it was little comments about how much I was spending and how it would be better if he managed my accounts. Over time, I was given £5 a day to cover food and public transport to work.
“Eventually, I didn’t have access to my bank accounts or any household bills. I later discovered that my partner had been running up debts on my credit card and that my salary had been covering all of our bills.”
After five years of financial control, Sarah eventually confided in a friend who supported her to seek legal advice. She wants other victims to know that they too can survive and rebuild their lives.
“I had become a shell of my former shelf and I didn’t know how to be independent anymore. I want anyone who’s experiencing financial control to know that you are not trapped and you can get your life back.
“Financial abuse should not be present in a healthy relationship and it is extremely detrimental to your financial future and your mental health.”
Beverley urged people who think they might be in a financially controlling relationship to contact a Family Lawyer or the police to seek advice: “If you think you are experiencing any aspect of financial abuse, ask for professional advice and constructive measures will be put in place to protect you.
“If you’re married, a Family Lawyer can seek spousal maintenance called aliment from the court to ensure that you receive a set sum of money to cover essential expenditure if you can prove that you need this.
“Your solicitor can help you untangle joint finances, use court processes to recover information about concealed bank accounts and advise you about child maintenance. This applies whether you’re married or not.”
