Spousal abuse is any form of harmful conduct directed by one spouse to another. Spousal abuse can include financial, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse through the course of the marriage. Typically, charges of spousal abuse will surface during fault divorces or in divorces with some disputes involved. Spousal abuse claims are often investigated for veracity, as well as the potential for the allegedly abusive parent to harm any dependants involved in the divorce case. Other considerations, such as alimony awards and other division of property issues may be decided in favor of victims of spousal abuse, if proven as the reason for the divorce.