The Ramsey Show Highlights

Episode: My Husband Locked Me Out Of Our Bank Account
Date: November 19, 2025
Host: Ramsey Network (Financial Advisor 1 & Financial Advisor 2)
Guest: Divorced Business Owner (Caller)

Overview

This episode centers around a caller—a recently separated businesswoman and mother of three—who is navigating both a contentious divorce and severe financial struggle. She shares how her husband, co-owner of their multi-million dollar manufacturing business, has locked her out of company finances and access, leaving her with minimal temporary support while the legal process drags on. The Ramsey advisors dissect her situation, probe for critical details about her financial standing and legal strategy, and offer both tough love and practical advice for pressing forward.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Caller’s Situation—Financial Free Fall

• [00:06–01:25]
  • The caller describes a daunting life reset: recent divorce, three children, former business co-owner, suddenly cut off from the family business and finances due to alleged abuse and control by her husband.
  • She details having gone “from a lot of money down to just nothing.”
  • Now homeschooling her children and recently moved into her first rental property after always previously owning homes.

2. Locked Out of Finances and the Business

• [01:25–03:33]
  • Court has granted her only minimal support: "$2,500 a month" [02:31], down from “$20,000 a month” she was used to [02:38].
  • She’s a 50% owner “on paper” of the LLC manufacturing business, but her husband has taken complete control—locking her out of accounts, withdrawing all company funds, and accusing her of embezzlement.
  • Her lawyers and the court have not secured access for her; legal process is stalled ("We don't have a hearing...mediation in February" [03:50]).

3. Legal and Procedural Gridlock

• [03:33–05:46]
  • Despite attorney intervention and “59 counts of contempt of court on his side” [02:12], little practical recourse has materialized.
  • Judge’s focus is on custody, not finances: "Our focus is on the children. There's really nothing we can do until y'all get to divorce court" [05:15].
  • The advisors question the competence of her legal representation: “Your attorney sucks. If this is the status quo, you need somebody else.” [04:22]

4. Surviving the Interim

• [05:46–07:12]
  • The caller is generating additional income via piano lessons and baking, but is struggling to meet expenses.
  • She reports a monthly income of “right around $5,000,” combining court-awarded support and side hustles [06:42], with $1,750 going to rent [07:01].
  • She has no personal debt; business debts are supposedly her husband’s responsibility per court order.

5. Unresolved Assets & Delays

• [07:13–08:20]
  • She cannot access equity from the marital home (her name is on it, but her husband controls it), and the forced sale is being delayed.
  • Financial Advisor 2 warns her: “I’m not convinced that your lawyer is great. I feel like you’re at the disadvantage when you shouldn’t be… find you an attorney that understands you’re the one with the upper hand, not him.” [08:20]

6. The Path Forward

• [08:20–08:42]
  • Advisors stress survival—covering her “four walls”—until the legal process ends.
  • Encouragement to keep advocating for herself, prioritize essential expenses, and possibly seek stronger legal counsel.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• [01:25] Caller:
  “I just got assigned very, very little pay from him...I went from a lot of money down to just nothing.”

• [02:38] Financial Advisor 2:
  “What were you used to living on?”
  Caller: “$20,000 a month.”

• [02:57] Financial Advisor 1:
  “What do you mean you got locked out?”
  Caller: “He is claiming that I embezzled, and he is able to take control of the company because I left the home because of the alleged abuse.”

• [04:22] Financial Advisor 1:
  “Your attorney sucks. If this is the status quo, you need somebody else.”

• [05:15] Caller:
  “On paper, I’m 50% legal owner of it, but you have to go through a court process. Like anybody can accuse you of anything. So he was able to lock me out of the building, took all the money out of the account, and he was just able to just block me from any system that I ever created.”

• [08:20] Financial Advisor 2:
  “I’m not convinced that your lawyer is great. I feel like you’re at the disadvantage when you shouldn’t be… find you an attorney that understands you’re the one with the upper hand, not him. And that’s the best advice I can give you. Luckily, nothing's on fire financially. You're just going to have to keep going until the divorce proceedings cover your four walls.”

Key Timestamps

• 00:06 — Caller introduction and context (divorce, business, financial reset)
• 01:25 — Locked out of bank/business, minimal court-ordered support
• 02:36–02:38 — Previous lifestyle: "$20,000 a month"
• 03:00–03:33 — Details of business lockout and accusation
• 03:42–03:55 — Mediation date; hearings delayed
• 04:22 — Advisors criticize caller’s legal counsel
• 05:15–05:46 — Court inaction; detailing business lockout
• 06:42 — Surviving on $5,000/month, rental expenses
• 07:50–08:13 — Issues around selling the marital home
• 08:20–08:42 — Advisor urges stronger legal action, focus on essentials

Tone and Takeaways

The conversation is intensely empathetic but firm, challenging the realities of the legal process, the importance of strong legal counsel, and the practicalities of cash flow under duress. The advisors alternate between compassion for the caller’s situation and direct, sometimes blunt advice—especially about legal representation and setting boundaries for survival.

Main Takeaway:
The caller, facing extreme adversity, needs to secure strong legal advocacy, prioritize immediate needs, and steadily push through the drawn-out court process to ultimately reclaim her fair share and rebuild her financial stability.