Anticipate 9 Deceptive Tactics in Divorce Proceedings

As your marriage reaches its end and the process of divorce commences, negative emotions may arise from both parties. However, if your soon-to-be-ex is particularly upset, you might be concerned about potential underhanded tactics aimed at prolonging the divorce process or securing unfair advantages. Fortunately, the key to ensuring a smooth divorce is preparation and understanding how to counter such maneuvers. Hence, we've compiled a list of deceptive strategies your ex-partner may employ, along with effective countermeasures.

Your ex-spouse may attempt to stall the divorce proceedings by changing lawyers frequently or ignoring your communications. They might also resort to quitting their job to evade responsibilities such as child support or alimony payments. Additionally, they could conceal assets by transferring them to another individual without your knowledge. To combat these tactics, it's crucial to enlist the expertise of a competent lawyer who can navigate you through the complexities of the divorce process.

Strategies for Prolonging the Divorce Process If your partner opposes the divorce or aims to cause you difficulty, they may employ tactics to unnecessarily extend the proceedings. This could involve vehemently contesting every detail or repeatedly changing legal representation, resulting in restarting the entire process.

Pressuring for Hastened Settlements Conversely, some individuals seek to extract maximum financial gain by exploiting your desire for swift resolution. Your spouse may coerce you into hastily signing documents without thorough review or coercing you into accepting an unfavorable settlement.

Employing Employment Changes to Evade Financial Responsibilities In many jurisdictions, child support and alimony obligations are determined by income. To evade financial obligations, a spouse may opt to resign from employment, thereby eliminating their income entirely.

Concealing or Falsifying Asset Information Asset disclosure influences court decisions regarding financial obligations. To circumvent equitable distribution, a spouse may transfer assets to third parties, make significant purchases under another's name, or withhold account details.

Manipulating Children's Allegiance Children unfortunately become pawns in divorce proceedings. Your spouse may poison your children's minds by speaking ill of you or falsely claiming you don't love them, impacting custody decisions, especially if they're old enough to voice their preference.

Obstructing Communication or Negotiation Your spouse may hinder progress by ignoring messages or using a busy schedule as an excuse to avoid necessary meetings during divorce proceedings.

Seeking Increased Custody for Financial Gain Even if your spouse doesn't desire more time with the children, they may pursue equal custody to decrease their child support obligations, as courts tend to adjust payments if custody is evenly split.

Fabricating Accusations In a bid for financial advantage, your spouse might falsely accuse you of various wrongdoings, such as abuse or criminal behavior, to sway court decisions regarding support, custody, or asset distribution.

Misusing Restraining Orders While typically intended for cases of abuse, your spouse may misuse a restraining order to gain leverage, forcing you out of the marital home and limiting access to your children. Such actions can significantly impact custody and support rulings.

Select a Competent Attorney Early On Hiring a skilled divorce lawyer is crucial to safeguarding your interests and thwarting any deceitful maneuvers by your spouse. Find an experienced attorney in your locality and communicate your concerns about your spouse's behavior to them.

Review Legal Documents with Your Lawyer Refuse to sign any agreements without thorough scrutiny by your legal representative. Ensure that your lawyer examines all paperwork to safeguard your rights and interests.

Scrutinize Your Spouse's Financial Activities If you suspect dishonesty regarding your spouse's finances, enlist your lawyer to investigate. Through meticulous investigation, your attorney can uncover any discrepancies, potentially leading to penalties or asset redistribution.

Prioritize Your Children's Well-being When navigating divorce proceedings, prioritize your children's welfare. Demonstrate to the court that your decisions are driven by their best interests, such as relocating within their school district to maintain stability.

Document Instances of Non-Communication Keep a record of any instances where your spouse fails to communicate or attend meetings. This evidence can be valuable in court to demonstrate intentional delays.

Avoid Retaliatory Behavior While it may be tempting to respond to dirty tactics with your own, taking the high road showcases your maturity and responsibility to the court.

Refrain from Leaving with Your Children Moving your children away, even unintentionally, can be misinterpreted as an attempt to alienate them from your ex-spouse. Maintain residency in the same area until custody arrangements are finalized.

Avoid Draining Joint Bank Accounts Withdrawing funds from joint accounts without consent can harm your case. Instead, leave the funds untouched and seek legal advice on the proper procedure for closing and dividing joint accounts.

Avoid Discussing the Divorce on Social Media Even with privacy settings, your ex or their legal team may access your posts. Negative social media posts can harm your case, so refrain from sharing anything that could be used against you.

Avoid Embarrassing Your Spouse or Endangering Their Employment While it may be tempting to serve divorce papers in a humiliating manner, such actions may reflect poorly on you in court and impact decisions regarding alimony or child support.