A bit over two weeks ago, I left my partner due to prolonged emotional and verbal abuse.
He has previously been physically violent, including trying to strangle me when I threatened to leave approximately 8 years ago. He hasn't recently been physically violent, although he still threatens to punch me or makes punching motions, throws things and screams in my ears.
His emotional and verbal abuse recently worsened, to the point he was waking me up repeatedly during the night and very early in the morning to scream and call me names. He also frequently screams that he wants to kick me out (the home is in his name). he says this all the time, so I sort of ignored it. He says all sorts of stuff, calls me horrible names, anything he can to try and upset me.
In public, he is extremely charming, and nobody had any idea what he was like. He also has started spreading rumours about me, according to my youngest son, who has gotten so used to his constant lying that he didn't think to mention it. These rumours include that I scream at him (my husband) all the time, that I have an internet addiction and that I am mentally unstable.
After a couple of very stressful days (including when he rang the police to report me missing because I went for a drive to get away from his yelling), he found out I was planning to leave and started acting so menacing that I rang the police and asked them to attend.
After arguing with the police (who said we had an equal right to keep our son), they let me take him and we left. We went and stayed in a holiday unit for 3 nights. During this time, my ex-organised that we couldn't visit the house to pick up more things without police, and then said we needed to have police and lawyers. He packed all our stuff in boxes and put them in the shed within three days. He also cut off the credit card and access to other accounts, but I had a few thousand on my own account.
I got sick of his games and ended up driving across the country to my cousin's. During this time, when he talked to my son, he kept asking repeatedly whether he was ok and if he was safe and implying that he shouldn't feel safe. So I blocked his phone number. I am now staying with another relative.
On Friday, I received an email from a lawyer containing Location orders, a request for a recovery orders and consent orders. He has also lodged the form that allows him to skip the mediation step, by saying that I am mentally unstable.
He hasn't attempted to ring any of my relatives, including my parents or sister to ask where I was. He has emailed to ask to talk to my son but didn't ask where we were. When he got me served, he asked for substituted service, but gave them the wrong email, the wrong address for my parents and the name of an acquaintance who would have no idea where we were.
His affidavit is very badly written, full of inaccuracies and lies (some of which are easily provable), rambling paragraphs that have no point, vague references to me having involvement in drugs and prostitution years ago (which is untrue) and vague reference to me having some sort of mental instability. It also has grammatical errors and other errors. I'm unsure how a lawyer has approved it.
In the orders, he wants his son to return to live with him, and I only get to see him for a few hours a week. This is based on the allegation that I am mentally unstable, although he hasn't specified how. He says he is worried that I may hurt my son.
From what I can ascertain, he has been planning this for a few months, as he wanted his daughter to move in (she moved in a couple of days after we moved out), and he is in line for a large inheritance from his deceased father. I also suspect that he has started dating before I left.
He has told people I ran off with someone and I'm pregnant (I'm not).
I don't have a DVO on him, as I would have had to stay in the state for a few weeks to get one lodged. I have never lodged a police report about his violence, although I did tell the police the night I left.
As we have only split up 2 and a bit weeks ago, I have no idea what I am going to do. I can't afford a lawyer, and I don't think I will get legal aid. I can't work until I figure out what I am doing. I'm a bit shattered by the breakup, having to leave the house and all our belongings and becoming homeless. I now have to spend money to fly back for the first of the court cases in about 3 weeks.
I need some help.
He has previously been physically violent, including trying to strangle me when I threatened to leave approximately 8 years ago. He hasn't recently been physically violent, although he still threatens to punch me or makes punching motions, throws things and screams in my ears.
His emotional and verbal abuse recently worsened, to the point he was waking me up repeatedly during the night and very early in the morning to scream and call me names. He also frequently screams that he wants to kick me out (the home is in his name). he says this all the time, so I sort of ignored it. He says all sorts of stuff, calls me horrible names, anything he can to try and upset me.
In public, he is extremely charming, and nobody had any idea what he was like. He also has started spreading rumours about me, according to my youngest son, who has gotten so used to his constant lying that he didn't think to mention it. These rumours include that I scream at him (my husband) all the time, that I have an internet addiction and that I am mentally unstable.
After a couple of very stressful days (including when he rang the police to report me missing because I went for a drive to get away from his yelling), he found out I was planning to leave and started acting so menacing that I rang the police and asked them to attend.
After arguing with the police (who said we had an equal right to keep our son), they let me take him and we left. We went and stayed in a holiday unit for 3 nights. During this time, my ex-organised that we couldn't visit the house to pick up more things without police, and then said we needed to have police and lawyers. He packed all our stuff in boxes and put them in the shed within three days. He also cut off the credit card and access to other accounts, but I had a few thousand on my own account.
I got sick of his games and ended up driving across the country to my cousin's. During this time, when he talked to my son, he kept asking repeatedly whether he was ok and if he was safe and implying that he shouldn't feel safe. So I blocked his phone number. I am now staying with another relative.
On Friday, I received an email from a lawyer containing Location orders, a request for a recovery orders and consent orders. He has also lodged the form that allows him to skip the mediation step, by saying that I am mentally unstable.
He hasn't attempted to ring any of my relatives, including my parents or sister to ask where I was. He has emailed to ask to talk to my son but didn't ask where we were. When he got me served, he asked for substituted service, but gave them the wrong email, the wrong address for my parents and the name of an acquaintance who would have no idea where we were.
His affidavit is very badly written, full of inaccuracies and lies (some of which are easily provable), rambling paragraphs that have no point, vague references to me having involvement in drugs and prostitution years ago (which is untrue) and vague reference to me having some sort of mental instability. It also has grammatical errors and other errors. I'm unsure how a lawyer has approved it.
In the orders, he wants his son to return to live with him, and I only get to see him for a few hours a week. This is based on the allegation that I am mentally unstable, although he hasn't specified how. He says he is worried that I may hurt my son.
From what I can ascertain, he has been planning this for a few months, as he wanted his daughter to move in (she moved in a couple of days after we moved out), and he is in line for a large inheritance from his deceased father. I also suspect that he has started dating before I left.
He has told people I ran off with someone and I'm pregnant (I'm not).
I don't have a DVO on him, as I would have had to stay in the state for a few weeks to get one lodged. I have never lodged a police report about his violence, although I did tell the police the night I left.
As we have only split up 2 and a bit weeks ago, I have no idea what I am going to do. I can't afford a lawyer, and I don't think I will get legal aid. I can't work until I figure out what I am doing. I'm a bit shattered by the breakup, having to leave the house and all our belongings and becoming homeless. I now have to spend money to fly back for the first of the court cases in about 3 weeks.
I need some help.