For what it's worth, Vicki...
I felt trapped. I had nowhere to go. I worried for years that my AH would rally his cadre of lawyer friends and take the kids away if I tried to leave. Those things all show that you've moved past some of the emotional garbage and you're ready to take the next step: You're not thinking of the emotional side as much as the practical side, and that's good. That's one step away from planning.
I can't tell you that this is always the case, but I can tell you that in my case, I did not know how many friends I had and how many people would help and support me until I took the step and left. A coworker that I wasn't even close friends with took me and the kids in for two full weeks while I looked for a place to live. Coworkers and friends and their relatives furnished my apartment with used furniture and cookware. Friends made me dinners, took the kids to amusement parks, gave me grocery store giftcards, loaned me their trucks.
I kept thinking "if I had known I had this kind of support, I would have made the decision to leave much earlier."
It's a tricky thing, because you don't know who to trust when you're in that spot. But if you have trusted friends, enroll their support. And friends might pop up in places you least expected it.
I'm glad you're seeing things clearly. And I wish you well.