It may be a sad reality, but divorce often brings out the worst in people. Those who have been emotionally or financially hurt can lash out, making resolution of important marriage dissolution issues seemingly impossible. This can make the divorce process longer and costlier than it needs to be. This isn’t to say that legal matters that can’t be agreed to shouldn’t be aggressively litigated, but our New Jersey readers may want to be aware of some particularly brutal divorce tactics and how to protect themselves from them.
There are a number of underhanded ways that a soon-to-be ex-spouse can seek to derail an individual’s finances and day-to-day life. One common tactic is to drain jointly held bank accounts. This can leave individuals scrambling to find a way to make ends meet, which can be challenging as they struggle to find a way through the property division process. Another strategy that some use is to rack up astounding amounts of debt on joint credit cards, then seek an agreement from the other party whereby they acquiesce to taking on current debt without knowing about the recent charges.
While many of these unfair strategies are financial in nature, others are emotional. For example, the parties to a divorce may agree on joint child custody, but even after that agreement is reached one spouse may petition for sole custody. This is often used as a way to leverage the other party into some sort of an agreement on another legal issues such as property division.
There are a number of strategies that can be effectively utilized during the divorce process. However, New Jersey residents need to focus on much more than just how they are going to pursue what they believe is in their and their children’s best interests. They also need to anticipate aggressive moves by the other side, even if they have full faith and confidence that the matter will resolve amicably. A legal advocate who knows how to appropriately assess the facts and legalities at hand may be of assistance in creating a strategy that provides the most amount of protection possible under the circumstances.