Domestic violence

How can we identify and combat domestic economic violence?

Publié le 25 novembre 2025 - Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Economic violence within the couple can be characterized in particular by the use of your bank accounts by your spouse, without your knowledge, for his personal needs, as well as by a control or deprivation of your resources. The Banque de France has just published information materials to help you if you are a victim of this type of violence or if you need, more generally, to gain or regain your financial independence.

Economic violence within the couple corresponds to a state of financial control of one spouse over the other. They are part of domestic violence, and are characterized by impoverishment, loss of income and/or financial control suffered by one of the spouses.

Such violence may manifest itself, inter alia, in:

  • the deletion of your payment methods (checkbook, credit card, etc.), following maneuvers by your spouse;
  • taking out a credit on your behalf, without your consent;
  • credit repayment incidents, implemented by your spouse, that lead to your registration at national index of credit repayment incidents to individuals (FICP) ;
  • a work ban decided by your spouse;
  • use of your bank accounts, or those of your children, without your knowledge for your spouse's sole personal purposes;
  • control or deprivation of your financial resources.

Online resources to find out what to do to combat economic violence

The Banque de France, as part of its information and support mission, has just set up on its website a new page dedicated to domestic economic violence.

This new online resource is designed in the form of a frequently asked questions. In particular, the following questions are answered:

  • My spouse used the money available on the children's booklets for his personal needs, how to contest these operations?
  • My spouse does transactions on my life insurance policy because he has access codes, how do I do it?
  • I leave the matrimonial home (which my spouse keeps) and I pay the home insurance contract, how do I terminate my participation in the contract?
  • I have a joint account with my spouse, can I close it on my own initiative?

Please note

If you are a victim of economic violence or, more generally, if you need to gain or regain your financial independence, you can benefit from support from the Banque de France.

You can find on the Banque de France website the means of contacting this institution (online, by phone or by visiting the Banque de France branch nearest you in person).

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