Figures from the charity Surviving Economic Abuse, which reveal 27% of mothers in the UK with children under 18 have experience economic abuse in the last year, are “shocking but not surprising,” according to Stowe Family Law’s Zoe Robinson.
The senior associate, who specialises in domestic abuse cases, says economic abuse is now one of the most common “and most devastating” forms of domestic abuse seen in family law.
“Financial abuse often starts quietly, disguised as ‘normal’, behaviour,” Robinson explained.
“A partner takes control of the accounts because the other is ‘not good with money’ or ‘doesn’t need to worry about bills’. Traditional gender roles can further mask the abuse: one partner earns, so they assume total control. What looks like practicality quickly becomes domination.”
But the control quickly escalates, Robinson added, with perpetrators leaving victims without independent access to money.
“They need permission to buy essentials. They cannot leave the house without funds. They cannot save, plan, or escape. Their lives are financially, practically and emotionally caged, often for years.”
The research from Surviving Economic Abuse suggests up to 3.9 million children in the UK are affected. One in seven (14%) mothers with children under 18 who experienced economic abuse said their children experienced poor mental health as a result, and a fifth (20%) said they felt afraid for their children’s safety or wellbeing.
One in six said they couldn’t provide food, clothes or other essential items for their children because of their current or ex-partner’s economically abusive behaviour.
Sam Smethers is the CEO of Surviving Economic Abuse. She said:
“Economic abuse is a dangerous form of coercive control and children are being harmed by it every day. Our research shows that perpetrators are stealing children’s pocket money, stopping mums accessing Child Benefit, and refusing to pay child support. Economic abuse means women and children go without at Christmas and every day of the year, with some pushed into poverty and homelessness.”
The nature of economic abuse can mean accessing legal advice is particulary difficult, Robinson said, as perpetrators can block access to money to pay for legal fees even after the relationship has ended.
“Leaving the relationship does not necessarily end the abuse as post-separation abuse can continue for years. It can manifest as perpetrators refusing to release funds; fraudulently claiming child benefits to block the other parent; making malicious allegations to benefits agencies so payments are frozen; or weaponising the legal process with endless correspondence, court applications, and deliberately inflated legal costs. Non- payment or late payment of child maintenance is also used as punishment.
“Legal aid may be technically available but practically out of reach because perpetrators have tied victims into joint accounts, making them appear financially supported but refusing access to them by taking cards or not allowing access to online banking for example.”
Family lawyers play a crucial role in breaking the cycle, Robinson added.
“We can identify red flags early, particularly post-separation patterns disguised as ‘reasonable’ financial disputes. We can help survivors secure urgent financial orders, protect their access to benefits, document economic abuse clearly for the court, and challenge litigation tactics designed to drain resources.
“We can also act as a shield: limiting unnecessary communication, ensuring proceedings remain proportionate, and preventing perpetrators from using the legal system as a further tool of control.
“The courts are slowly becoming more alive to economic abuse, but the progress is slow, and not enough lone is not enough. Survivors need lawyers who recognise the tactics, understand the risks, and provide clear, strategic advice that empowers them to rebuild their lives—not return to the control they fought to escape.”
