You’ve never thought of yourself as a violent person, and you’d never intentionally hurt someone. Your spouse, on the other hand, has never been particularly calm. She often yells at you or strikes out at you, even though it’s nothing serious and usually ends in a few minutes.
Lately, your spouse has been accusing you of being abusive. You can’t see how that would be possible, since she’s the one who is always angry at you, but you know it’s important to defend yourself. Even false allegations could seriously impact your life.
What should you do if you’re threatened with accusations of abuse?
To start with, it’s a good idea to track and record conversations suggesting that your spouse believes you’re abusive or will falsely accuse you of being abusive for revenge. If you do end up being falsely accused, you can use any evidence you’ve collected to help clear your name.
False accusations still have the potential to seriously damage your life. By the time they’re resolved, you may have damaged relationships with family, friends and employers. You may have lost your job or have been unable to accept work in another location. You will have wasted your time, and money, on allegations that never should have been made.
When you know threats could be made real, it’s time to take a stand
Once you realize that it’s likely that your spouse will make false allegations, you need to strike first. Call your attorney, so he or she is aware of what’s going on. Then, it’s a good idea to think about contacting the police about your spouse’s threats. Threats of violence or blackmailing you are not legal, so there’s a potential that you could nip the problem in the bud before it has a chance to affect you.
If you are already facing allegations, then working with your attorney closely is important. You don’t want to say or do anything that could implicate you in a crime. Your spouse needs to have more than just her word that you did something abusive in your relationship. Without evidence, it’s hard for anyone to prosecute you.
In the meantime, your attorney can defend your rights and even prepare a lawsuit against your spouse for making false allegations that could ruin your reputation and end up landing you with fines, in prison or facing other negative circumstances.
