09/08/2026
Hello everyone,
This is your reminder for our divorce support group meeting tomorrow, Wednesday, at 6:30 p.m. It will be a virtual meeting by invitation only. If you wish to attend, send me a request, and I will send you an invitation by email. I will also send invitations to all who previously expressed an interest, so there is no need to request again. Please let me know if you are interested and did not receive an invitation. Also, note that the meetings will be in Google Meet, and invitations will be from my Google email address ([email protected]) and not my Yahoo email.
Finances are very often a source of conflict in relationships, and always in a divorce. A recent article in Psychology Today, written by a family law attorney, discusses two of the primary financial problems in relationships: financial infidelity and financial abuse. Excerpts are below, and a link to the full article is at the bottom of the page.
“Financial infidelity occurs when one partner intentionally conceals financial information from the other.
In financial abuse, the primary goal is control and gaining, and keeping, power.
Whether the issue is financial infidelity or financial abuse, ignoring it rarely makes it disappear. Both situations can certainly break trust and damage a marriage, but they require very different responses. Here are a few of the signs and repercussions of each:
Financial Infidelity
One partner intentionally conceals financial information from the other. This may include opening a secret bank account, building up and then hiding credit card debt, or making large purchases without disclosure.
They may gamble, lend money to family members, or have an undisclosed form of income, each without the other spouse knowing.
Financial infidelity breaks trust. It undermines transparency and can leave the other spouse questioning what else has been hidden.
Financial infidelity does not necessarily involve an effort to dominate or control the relationship. A spouse may hide spending for a host of reasons, including shame about debt or anxiety over disappointing their partner. This does not excuse the behavior, but it does distinguish it from abuse.
Financial Abuse
In financial abuse, the primary goal is control. It is a form of emotional abuse.
A financially abusive partner uses money and access to money to create dependence and limit the other person's freedom. A financially abusive partner may, among other things:
Restrict access to the couple’s financial information.
Refuse to share passwords to joint accounts, including bank accounts, credit cards, mortgages, or car payments.
Monitor the purchases their partner makes.
Prevent the partner from working, including sabotaging career opportunities.
One spouse may insist the other lives on an “allowance” while they spend money however they would like.
The objective is not to keep a secret. It is to weaken the other spouse and maintain power.
In many abusive relationships, the victimized spouse has little or no knowledge of the family's financial picture and no way to access that information. This can lead to a feeling of despair, as leaving a relationship can feel impossible without access to financial resources.
Of course, financial infidelity and financial abuse can occur together. A controlling spouse may also hide assets or secretly move money to maintain leverage. Further, repeated financial deception can evolve into financial abuse if it is used to manipulate or intimidate the other partner.
Two terms are becoming increasingly common in conversations about relationships: financial infidelity and financial abuse. While they may appear similar, they are quite different.