Getting through divorce can be difficult under normal circumstances considering that you and your spouse will either have to negotiate or litigate over marital property, spousal support and child custody. But the process can be overwhelming when your spouse is an incessant liar. If you can’t get straight facts out of them during divorce negotiations, then your settlement talks are bound to stall. And if they lie in court, then you might find it difficult to convince a judge to side with you.
Therefore, a lying spouse is a liability in your divorce proceedings. If you want to protect your interests and your future, you can’t let them get away with their falsehoods. Yet, all too often those seeking divorce from a lying spouse try to expedite the process so that they don’t have to deal with their spouse anymore. This can be dangerous, as it often results in caving into the lying spouse’s demands.
What can you do during divorce to protect yourself from a lying spouse?
When your spouse is a habitual liar, it can feel like there’s nothing you can do to set the record straight. But don’t lose hope. There are steps you can take to properly address the situation, which could position you for the outcome you want despite your spouse’s lying. Here are some of them:
- Gather convincing and contradictory evidence: Your spouse might be taken at their word if you don’t highlight their lies. Therefore, it’s to your benefit to find evidence that contradicts their claims. This might include financial records, your child’s medical and educational records, text messages and emails and witness accounts. Don’t feel like you’re gathering too much evidence, as you need to be as convincing as possible throughout your marriage dissolution proceedings.
- Reduce all communications to writing: You can’t trust what your spouse says. And you can’t expect that they’ll stick to their word. Therefore, you need to get everything they say in writing. That way you can lock them into their position and refer back to those writings if your spouse later lies.
- Avoid retaliation: The frustrations associated with a lying spouse can be so overwhelming that it leaves you wanting to lash out or otherwise retaliate against your spouse. But doing so will only give your spouse more evidence that they can use against you in court. So, be mindful of what you say and do in response to your spouse’s lies and find other outlets for dealing with your emotions.
- Look at the reasons for your spouse’s lying: Seeking understanding can make it easier to get through your divorce. While your spouse might be lying to try to hurt you or to get as much as possible out of your divorce, they might also be doing it to defend themselves from the painful process before them. Consider what’s motivating your spouse so that you can modify your approach as needed.
It can feel like your divorce is spinning out of control when your spouse tells lie after lie after lie. But you don’t have to let your marriage dissolution run away from you. Instead, you can implement the strategies mentioned above and other legal tactics to regain control of your divorce and protect your interests. If you’d like to learn more about how to do that, then please continue to read our blog and the rest of our website. Hopefully then you’ll have the information needed to start developing the divorce legal strategy that positions you for the success that you need and deserve.