Survivors and advocates press lawmakers for new civil remedies for coerced debt

Survivors of domestic and intimate‑partner violence, legal aid attorneys and researchers told the Joint Committee on the Judiciary that current consumer and family‑law remedies leave victims of economic abuse without a reliable path to financial recovery. Witnesses described a common pattern: an abusive partner coerces or forges credit, opens accounts in a victim’s name, or forces the victim to incur loans. The resulting debt and credit damage can prevent survivors from obtaining housing, employment, or transportation and hinder their ability to leave abusive relationships. Multiple witnesses described personal cases to the committee. Lou Anne of Revere said an abuser stole credit‑card information and used tens of thousands of dollars in her name; she testified the debt damaged her credit and left her unable to enjoy retirement. Angela Cotton Carrasquillo and others described…