When you first married, you may not have seen anything in your spouse that pointed to a troubling personality. However, as the years went on (or possibly even sooner than that), you may have come to realize that your spouse was not who you initially thought he or she was. Unfortunately, many manipulative or narcissistic individuals can hide negative personality traits in order to get their way (such as marrying you), and then those negative traits can surface later.
Perhaps, the issues first started when your spouse started acting in selfish ways or attempted to control what you did. You may have ignored it for a time, but soon, it became too much. You both likely started fighting, and now, you are heading for divorce.
Difficult divorce
Because you now know what your spouse is truly like, you may anticipate a difficult divorce. Fortunately, if you anticipate it, you may be able to prepare ahead of time and mitigate some of the negative actions your soon-to-be ex may try to take, such as:
- Using the kids against you: If you and your spouse have children, he or she may try to petition for primary custody just as a way to get back at you.
- Taking shots financially: If you have a joint bank account, your spouse could try to drain the account to leave you with as little as possible, or if you have shared credit lines, the other party may try to rack up debt for which you could be partially responsible.
- Refusing to provide support: The other party may attempt to make matters more difficult for you by refusing to support the household after moving out, even if that means leaving you to pay for necessities for the children.
- Filing unnecessary petitions in court: When a person files a petition with the court, it may be an attempt to make the process take longer. This may seem like a disadvantage to both of you, but your spouse may not care as long as it means it costs you more time and money.
- Refusing to compromise: You may already know that your future ex-spouse is not one for negotiations or compromise, and unfortunately, this could make your case even more difficult.
Going through a difficult divorce could easily make you feel alone. Luckily, you do not have to try to get through this process on your own. A California attorney experienced in contentious divorce cases can help you understand how to prepare and work toward the best outcome possible.
