By Kristi Pahr | Fatherly
Building a life with another person is hard. It requires years of healthy communication and compromise, — and that’s when two people want to be together. When two people decide, for whatever reason, that they’re better off going their separate ways and getting a divorce, dividing that life up can be even more challenging.
Divorce is never a simple, cut-and-dried affair, especially if children are involved. Negotiations can become contentious, and tempers inflamed. Disputes and disagreements over custody, the dispensation of property, and all the other details that go into separating lives that have been intimately entwined can make even the most patient person lose their cool.
During a contentious divorce, one spouse may be tempted to hurt, embarrass, or manipulate the other to get the most out of the divorce settlement. Or it could just be plain old spite or revenge.
Whatever the reason, there are underhanded tactics your soon-to-be ex may try to implement. If you’re concerned your divorce could take a nasty turn, or you’re trying to negotiate a divorce with a narcissist, these are a few sneaky divorce tactics you should be prepared for.
Divorce – especially when children are involved – can be mentally, emotionally, and even physically draining. What makes it more difficult is when one party tries to unfairly gain the upper hand by lying or acting in bad faith. The silver lining for those who play by the rules is that, while every case is unique, practiced attorneys and judges have the experience to recognize these deceitful actions for what they are and take the necessary steps to protect you.
Scott Ghormley, family law attorney at Rose Law Group