For many individuals going through a divorce, one of the most difficult issues is dealing with and overcoming emotional abuse and/or harassment from their ex spouse. All divorces come about for a reason, and many times acrimonious separations are due to or can even result in a hostile relationship between exes. This can be particularly tricky to navigate when ex spouses are also co-parents. Today, our divorce and family law attorneys will be discussing how to deal with manipulation, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, and harassment from a former spouse.
If you or a loved one is going through an acrimonious divorce, having issues with enforcement of you agreement, or has any other family law needs, call our office today for a free and confidential consultation with a member of our experienced legal team.
Morris County, NJ Divorce Lawyers Enforce the Terms of Your Agreement
It is important to understand that many forms of harassment and emotional abuse in the aftermath of a marriage are a ploy to gain power over a new situation. Even if the parties are not aware of this dynamic, the power struggle between newly divorced parents can be a very real issue. In no way should you allow an abusive or manipulative person to break the terms of your agreements.
For example, a mother may refuse to budge on holiday plans and wants to have the kids during both Christmas Eve and Christmas despite the fact that this is a direct contradiction of the divorced couple’s marriage and child custody agreement. When the father responds that it is within the terms of the agreement that they should both get a day surrounding Christmas time, she may say that the kids prefer to stay with her.
This is a common form of emotional manipulation as she is implying that 1. she is free to do whatever she wants with the children and 2. it is actually better for the kids. This may also be an issue of child alienation: a form of abuse which involves turning children against another parent or family member. If your former spouse or co-parent is refusing to adhere to the terms of your divorce or other agreements or you feel they are participating in child alienation, contact our Morris County attorneys today.
Chatham Family Law Attorneys Discuss Moving on From a Toxic Marriage
Of course, the legal perspective is just one piece of the puzzle. Moving on with one’s life after a divorce can be incredibly challenging after years of sharing a life together. Even in toxic relationships, we grow attached to our partners and may have a hard time separating fact from fiction. Here are a few great places to start:
- Understand that your ex’s problems are no longer your problems – for co-parents, this can be difficult. But the fact of the matter is that if your ex spouse is a good parent to your children, the rest of their issues are no longer your concern
- Stand up for yourself – not just from a legal perspective as discussed above, but from a personal standpoint as well. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect regardless of their personal history. If this is an ongoing issue of abusive language or threats, that may be grounds for legal action as well
- Forgive your ex – This is more for you than it is for them. As a wise man once said, “holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”
Contact our Morristown Family Law and Divorce Attorneys Today
At The Law Office of Townsend, Tomaio & Newark, we understand the stresses that come with divorce for our clients in New Jersey towns including Chester, Chatham, Harding, Morristown, Mendham, Morris Township, and all of Morris County. However, we like to remind our clients that their divorce took place for a reason, and that they no longer need to deal with the emotional abuse and harassment of an immature or manipulative ex spouse. Our team of family law attorneys is here to support our divorce and family law clients in any way possible.
Contact us online or over the phone by calling our Morristown offices at (973) 840-8970 today for a free and confidential consultation regarding your divorce, child custody, child support, domestic violence, or any other family law legal concerns.
