Wife, former, perpetrator of maltreatment and neglect

This code identifies a situation where a patient has experienced maltreatment or neglect, and the individual responsible for this harm is their former wife. It specifies the relationship of the perpetrator to the victim, indicating a history of marital connection that has since dissolved.

Apply this code when documentation clearly states that the patient is a victim of abuse or neglect, and the perpetrator is identified as their former spouse (female). This is typically used in conjunction with a code describing the specific type of maltreatment (e.g., physical abuse, emotional neglect).

• Always sequence this code after the primary code for the specific type of maltreatment or neglect.
• Ensure documentation explicitly identifies the perpetrator as the "former wife" to support the use of this code.
• Do not use if the perpetrator is the current wife; a different code would apply for that relationship.