Dirty Divorce Tactics
If you are headed toward a divorce and have a partner who is angry, you might want to be prepared for some dirty tactics that could really make the coming weeks and months (hopefully not years…) miserable. There are several nasty things that could be done in order to drag out the process and wear you down.
- Delay: A spouse can drag their feet in disclosing information, letting deadlines pass without acknowledgement, canceling meetings, and otherwise trying to push things back in order to keep you in limbo. That could include refusing to reply to your texts or calls, walking out of negotiations in a huff, and generally mangling any chance of productive communication.
- Dragging the Kids Through it All: Commonly known as parental alienation, your spouse could complain about you in front of the children, make custody transfers miserable by being late or not providing things the kids need, or blocking your visits and calls altogether. In worst-case scenarios, they might even lie about you to the kids.
- Lying About You: In addition to lying to the kids about you, they could make up stories to other family members, or even the court, claiming you are a bad parent, you are unstable, or you have drug or alcohol problems.
- Hiding Assets: One dastardly tactic is to try to bury assets and/or income in order to get a better settlement that includes a more favorable alimony or child support agreement for them.
- Quitting a Job: One way to get out of alimony payments is to quit a job altogether. It’s one of the more dastardly tricks that brazen parents use to hurt their former spouse and kids.
How to Handle These Issues
Dealing with the kinds of dirty tricks outlined here would be virtually impossible on your own. You definitely want an experienced attorney who can fight to keep things on track. Additional tips include:
- Log Everything: Document, document, document! From the very beginning, keep track of communications, issues with the children, financial transactions, and all data related to the divorce. You never know what could happen down the road, so be prepared for anything by having everything in writing.
- Behave Courteously: As much as you may feel like blowing your stack, stay calm and respectful in all of your interactions. When communication is too difficult, let your attorney handle it.
- Hire a Forensic Accountant: If you suspect financial misdealing, let a pro dig into the financial questions.
We’ll Get You Through It
The dedicated Springfield family attorneys at Courtney & Mills are rarely surprised by the unethical behaviors of spouses in messy divorces. We know how to anticipate and respond to these situations with a minimum of drama. To discuss your situation, schedule a confidential consultation in our Springfield office today.
Source:
psychologytoday.com/us/basics/parental-alienation
