You may not consider yourself someone who would ever intentionally hurt another person, whether physically or emotionally. You always try to put your best efforts into understanding why another person may act the way he or she does so that you can better control your response and react in a healthy way. Unfortunately, your marriage has reached a point where it is no longer healthy for either of you.
You may be the one to initiate the divorce proceedings, and though you did not take this step in order to hurt your spouse, he or she may feel hurt nonetheless. As a result, your soon-to-be ex may lash out and potentially make your divorce a difficult ordeal to get through.
Nasty divorces happen
Though each divorce case is different, whether the process goes smoothly or sees considerable conflict can depend on how each party approaches the case. If your spouse’s feelings cause him or her to act harshly during the case, your situation could turn difficult. Some actions you may find yourself dealing with include the following:
- Targeting you with anger: Feelings of hurt can often lead to feelings of anger, and your spouse may take out his or her anger on you. This could result in attempted arguments or even trying to seek revenge through the court proceedings.
- Acting in a cruel manner: Similar to feelings of anger, your spouse may also feel that your decision to file for divorce makes him or her ineffective, small or disempowered. In efforts to regain a sense of control, your spouse may act cruelly toward you.
- Trying to manipulate you: Another attempt to regain control can involve manipulation. When it comes to divorce, this could mean trying to manipulate child custody outcomes, property division results, alimony and much more.
- Criticizing you: When you made the decision to divorce, your spouse may have felt that you went beyond his or her control. As a result, he or she may now try to criticize this choice and others in an attempt to make you seem out of control.
Your spouse’s issues with control may have contributed to the problems in your marriage, and now that you are heading for divorce, your spouse may try to amp up those controlling efforts.
What can you do?
Dealing with a difficult divorce can have various repercussions on your life. Fortunately, you do not have to try to handle the ordeal without support. Enlisting the help of a Texas attorney experienced in handling nasty divorce cases could allow you to better understand your legal options for addressing this predicament.