<prompt> Human: This is a very hard post, so please be kind. I am a permanent resident of the US and am a green card holder. My husband and I moved to this country to further his career. I am able to apply for citizenship within 18 months. I was only able to come to this country because I am his spouse. I have not finished high school. He has a doctorate. We have children. I have been a stay-at-home spouse for the entirety of our marriage. We moved to a lot of different countries where there was a language barrier, also obtaining documentation to work was extremely difficult given my education and local policies.I have a credit rating of 0 in this country. I have not lived in my home country for more than a decade. We spent a lot of time in Europe before movie here. I do not have family to go back to so if I leave him, there is no reason for me to go back to my home country. Also I do not wish to separate my children from him. Hes a good man but a poor husband. I need to find a way to support myself and my children on my own. Starting totally from scratch. I feel very overwhelmed and I dont know who to ask for guidance. We live in a small university town and everybody knows everybody here. Those who know me would be truly shocked to find out how little education I have, so needless to say its not a badge I wear proudly. Its something Ive hidden for a long time out of shame. I need help in understanding my first steps from here. Thank you for any advice you can provide. Assistant: If youre getting a divorce, get a lawyer ASAP. Listen to advice from a lawyer above whatever people here say, myself included. Maybe talk to rlegaladvice. You should be asking a lawyer for guidance. If you dont know who to call, you can call your states bar association, they can help you find a lawyer.As for income, well alimony exists for people in your situation for just such a reason when you get divorced your husband still has to pay you, talk about a lawyer about that, I dont know how long that takes or what, also, if you get custody of the kids child support would come with it again, more money for your family to live. Being only a green card holder might be a problem, I dont know how that works with the courts and such. But I do know there is an exception to getting kicked out when you have custody of a US citizen child may help you.Anyways, how long youve been married, the age and citizenship of your kids, what state you live in and how long youve been in the US is going to matter, so for more help youll need to mention those things. As a green card holder you shouldnt really have problems getting a job, you have an SSN and thats all youll need. A minimum wage job should help, assuming you can do that again, the age of the children matter here, if they are 18 you can get a job, if they are 2 years old I understand you have to care for them. Also, if your child is older 18 I think, they can sponsor you for citizenship.Human: Thank you so much for taking the time to reply! The children are school-aged and in elementary levels. Is there a way I can work on my credit rating before I tell him Im applying for a divorce? Once I tell him I am seeking a divorce, I know he will do whatever he has to to make sure I leave the marriage, taking only what I came with...nothingMy husband is not abusive to myself or the children. However I am very dependent on him financially. I currently have credit cards with my name on them but I recently found out the accounts are only in his name. I am simply granted permission to use them. I suppose they are the same thing people give their kids when they go to college for emergency purposes? I feel very foolish for trusting him in these things. I think it is his way to ensure I do not leave. The reason Im so keen on developing a credit rating is in order to obtain an apartment. With a credit rating of 0 and no co-signers for anything it is proving to be an uphill battle in obtaining a simple shelter for when I make the shift.  <response>: A bad credit rating, especially one like yours, is NOT going to be a huge factor in finding an apartment, yes, some check it, but many are not looking for a high score, they are looking for someone who has never defaulted and proof of income. Its the proof of income that will be the bigger hurdle. And for that, I recommend talking to a lawyer. The only thing you can do now is apply for a credit card now, its probably easier when you can say youre married and include your husbands income. As long as you dont really use the card and it has no fee, its not going to hurt your credit.Talk to the lawyer, lots of people are in your situation, a lawyer will know how this works. You might be able to get court ordered money to move out. Many lawyers will take the case on contingency theyll work for free, and just bill you when its all over, after the court splits up the money. Or maybe you have access to the joint accounts and you can do it before I have no idea if thats an acceptable thing to do, ask a lawyer. 