What to expect from an angry spouse during divorce

 Posted on March 08, 2019 in Uncategorized

Many divorces that occur in Texas are fairly amicable. However, there are horror stories about angry spouses who intentionally delay the process. There is also the greater extreme where a spouse lashes out in violence. An angry husband shot his wife and three other family members in Texas after she filed for divorce.

Those stories are rare. More often than not, a spouse will simply be upset the marriage has come to an end and make things difficult on the ex. If your spouse does not react to the news of the divorce well, then you should expect some of the following to occur. None of these are certainties, but they are important to keep in mind, so you can react accordingly.

Delay the process through the discovery phase

Both spouses and their attorneys will go through a discovery phase. This occurs when legal counsel asks for certain documents to aid with the proceedings. Some spouses will intentionally make things difficult by not cooperating and failing to respond to all requests. Additionally, your spouse can bog your attorney down with numerous requests to slow things down further. You should not hesitate to use the Family Court System to speed up the process when necessary.

Spy on you

Some spouses will spy on their exes to try to dig up dirt. They think that if they can attain compromising photos, they do not have to pay as much in alimony or that they can get more time with the children. You should not do this. Do not spy on your ex, or else you could end up looking bad in court, too.

Limit access to marital assets

To avoid this situation, make sure all marital assets are in your name before filing for divorce. This includes credit card accounts, bank accounts and the mortgage. You may want to close certain credit card accounts if you worry your spouse could rack up a lot of debt, so make sure you have some way to pay for the essentials lined up.