My husband of 15 years has been controlling, manipulating, mentally/emotionally abusing me for 15 years. I was 16, he was 36 when we met and were married 3 years later. We now have a 9 year old son who is the most amazing kid I've ever met (yes, I am certainly biased but most who know him agree with me). My husband has never been abusive toward our son, but has no reservations about lashing out at me in front of him. Getting in my face, yelling and screaming, name calling, repeating true as well as untrue things/words in order to make my son remember them, etc are just a few of his usual tactics. I have left him multiple times, with and without my son. This time, on Halloween, he absolutely lost his mind and I really thought that this might be the first time he physically laid hands on me, Thankfully it wasn't, but it was when I took our son and left. We are safe with a family member and I truly feel that this was my breaking point. I don't want to go back. That being said, he is making all sorts of threats and accusations, claiming that he will make sure I don't get custody of our son. He is very manipulative, and can be incredibly convincing when he tries. What do I need to know about his rights before we see a judge about custody, etc? Do I have to let him see our son until a judge says otherwise if I think he will try to brainwash him? He's always been good to our son, and my son doesn't want to be unable to see his dad. But right now his dad is unstable and I don't trust his ability to say/do the right things to/in front of him. I also have no doubt that my husband will try turning our son against me if given the opportunity, He will use every weapon available to him against me and will do anything within his power to spite me. So what do I need to know? I'm in Indiana.