leaving my abusive husband

[tanyaj122]

What is the name of your state?Colorado
I am 28 years old and I want to leave my husband. He and I have been together for 10 years, married for 7. He has always been verbally and physically abusive to me, lately even in front of our children. I have never pressed charges against him because he has threatened to "snap my neck" if I do and I am afraid that he actually will. I have 3 children ages 4, 3, 1. I am wondering about custody and child support. He always tells me that because I am an unemployed homemaker and have no way to support the children that he would get custody and also I wonder if I were to just leave him and go to a shelter would that cause any difficulties in my keeping sole custody of my children? Also is there any way to recieve child support without having to let him hav visitations or do I have to give him some kind of visitation. The reason I ask this is because my children are even frightened of him and I worry about sending them with him and not getting them back. His mother has already helped her daughter hide her children from thier father once before for over 6 weeks and I am terrified of them doing that again.

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state?Colorado
I am 28 years old and I want to leave my husband. He and I have been together for 10 years, married for 7. He has always been verbally and physically abusive to me, lately even in front of our children. I have never pressed charges against him because he has threatened to "snap my neck" if I do and I am afraid that he actually will. I have 3 children ages 4, 3, 1. I am wondering about custody and child support. He always tells me that because I am an unemployed homemaker and have no way to support the children that he would get custody and also I wonder if I were to just leave him and go to a shelter would that cause any difficulties in my keeping sole custody of my children? Also is there any way to recieve child support without having to let him hav visitations or do I have to give him some kind of visitation. The reason I ask this is because my children are even frightened of him and I worry about sending them with him and not getting them back. His mother has already helped her daughter hide her children from thier father once before for over 6 weeks and I am terrified of them doing that again.

It is absolutely not true that you could not get custody of the children due to you being an unemployed homemaker. That is complete BS. In fact, your chances of getting custody would be much greater than his because you have been the primary caretaker for the children.

You need help. You need to absolutely call the police the next time that he gets physically abusive with you. You can also talk to women's shelter to see what help they might offer. I am hesitant to tell you to take the children and go to one, because I have seen too many cases where judges have turned the children over to the father, rather than leave them living in a shelter....but contact them anyway.

Don't let him intimidate you into not calling the police.