What constitutes abandonment?

when my ex and i first split i left the house and stayed with a friend. i did not give him any warning, just did not come home due to fear. the day i decided to not go home my now ex had called me making threats, saying hed changed the locks, if i got back in id never get back out, saying hed make sure i lost everything if i came back, etc…since i did leave without any notice, i had my kids with me when i did, he filed an abandonment order against me claiming id left him and my girls during a visitation he had with them and hed had the girls all along. before that there wasnt a legal greement, id been to scared to file, and had tried to work with him instead of against him. is what i did considered abandonment? are there any legal reprcussions to me for leaving how i did, even out of fear? thanks!

Abandonment is not a civil action in itself. It is one of the many factors that the court looks at when determining the division of assets. When looking at the facts in their entirety, you will likely also have factors in your favor.