I am raising funds for a divorce. I know that may not sound good, but hear me out. My husband is very abusive to me. I have no access to money to divorce him. I do not qualify for financial help. I realize the picture of me looks very nice and proper, and not like someone who needs help, but I do. If I cannot raise the money, then I will not be able to defend myself in the divorce, which he is counting on, and he's going to take everything we have. Tennessee is not a 50/50 state, so without an attorney in the divorce case, he will walk all over me, which plays right into the kind of abuse he prefers to dish out.

Let me be clear, I did not file for the divorce. I felt very strongly that I needed to stay in my marriage because of the vows I made to him and God, despite the extreme verbal, mental, and physical abuse. He pushed me mentally to the point that I wanted to kill myself. I finally stood up to him and told him it was enough. I refused to spend Christmas with him this past year. He filed for divorce in January. I've tried to work things out with him as best as I can, and he has made it clear in the cruelest ways that he no longer needs or wants me. He has access to all our finances and knows the power he holds over me. An attorney, even a cheap one, costs at least $20,000. I am out of options. The funds will be used to pay for a lawyer and for relocation. The only thing I can think of now is asking strangers for help. Thank you in advance for your support.