Women's... rights?

Okay, so it may have already been obvious that I personally was bothered most so far in Cena by the launching of a cup into the face of Fortunata by Trimalchio. And though, yes, the paterfamilias had the power of life and death over his wife and family, and I understand that. Still, I was determined to find that there had been some kind of sanctity for the wives in ancient times. The only help that a woman could hope for, would come from her family. Families of the wife would often agree with the husband, whether she was drinking too much, being adulterous or disrespectful in front of company etc., that she was wrong. However, if a woman was clever and convincing enough, she could appeal to her family members for help. An example of this can be found in Cicero's letters to Atticus 1.5.1 and 5.1.3-4. Atticus has asked Cicero to check on his sisters marriage with Cicero's brother. In this case, Cicero find the wife, Pomponia, to be "bitter and rude... and ill-tempered", and he finds his own brother, Quintus, to be "gentle and kind". Though Pomponia is the one acting wrong in this situation, it still interests me to know that there was at least that last hope of familial intervention, for women in Rome. Also, after reading these letters I must admit that I was a bit surprised to see an actual account of a woman disrespecting her husband so openly. Perhaps this kind of behavior was often the case in some Roman well-to-do households regardless of the risks involved?