Your spouse’s wrath at you for leaving may know no bounds during your divorce — particularly if there’s a lot at stake.
Embittered spouses will sometimes go to great lengths to make a divorce as difficult as possible. They aren’t always shy about pulling some dirty tricks, either, in pursuit of their goals. Here are some of the most common:
- Delaying a big influx of wealth
Is your spouse’s income or wealth really what you think it is? Affluent spouses often find ways to delay part of their income until after the divorce is settled to avoid splitting the money. For example, your spouse may be sitting on a deal to sell their company for millions — while claiming that the business is really only worth a few thousand.
- Developing “sudden income deficiency syndrome”
Funny how your spouse’s business hit a bad spot just when you asked for a divorce, right? Yet, your spouse’s spending habits and lifestyle haven’t changed a bit. The ability of a business owner to funnel money through alternative channels so they can look poorer on paper is well-known among divorce attorneys.
- Playing “super parent” to maximize custody
If your spouse has been mostly hands-off with the kids during your marriage and turns into “super parent” overnight, watch out: They’re probably making a play for a larger-than-fair share of the custody. They may not even really intend to exercise their custody options if they give it. The sad reality is that some parents do this just so they can reduce their child support payments since “more custody” equals “less support.”
These are far from the only games that an angry spouse may play during the divorce process. Some will falsely claim to be the victims of domestic violence when that has never occurred. Others will empty the marital coffers to put a financial chokehold around their spouses, hoping to impair their ability to fight back. Some just flat-out lie about their assets. It takes an experienced eye to spot the trouble coming — and know how to handle it when it arrives.
