Three Tricks Your Partner May Use to Delay Your Divorce
Once you have started the divorce process, it may be your wish to hasten the process and get done with it. Unfortunately, your partner may not be of the same mind. There are several process-delaying tactics your spouse may employ if he or she decides to, and here are some of them:
Complicating the Discovery Process
The discovery process, which occurs in the early stages of a divorce, involves the exchange of essential information. Such information includes debt, income, extramarital relationships, and anything else that may impact the divorce.
Unfortunately, a spouse who is out to frustrate you may complicate the discovery process unnecessarily. For example, your partner may request voluminous and unnecessary amounts of information that he or she knows you don't have at hand.
Making False Accusations
Every accusation you make has to be investigated if it can impact your divorce settlement or related issues such as child custody. Knowing this, your partner may make false claims or exaggerated ones if he or she doesn't want to get on the wrong side of the judge. For example, your partner may claim that you have been abusing your child. Even if it later turns out that the "abuse" was actually a legally acceptable disciplining incident, you will have wasted considerable resources and time on the issue.
Reneging On Verbal Agreements
One of the best ways of hastening your divorce process is to agree (with your partner) on as many issues as possible. Only the most contentious issues should end up n the negotiation and mediation table, and you should do everything possible to avoid trial.
Unfortunately, if you make verbal agreements on some of the issues, your spouse may renege on them and force you to include them in the negotiation/mediation agenda. For example, if you had agreed on an arrangement for temporary custody for the duration of the divorce, your partner may claim no such agreement exists. After that, he or she can file a temporary custody motion, which delays the process. The more decisions your partner reneges on, the longer your divorce may take.
Avoid most of these complications by hiring a lawyer as soon as you are sure you are headed for a divorce. A lawyer will advise you on what to do to avoid the complications. For example, he or she will insist on written agreements for all issues to make it difficult for your spouse to change his or her mind at a whim. Contact one like A. Scott Kalkwarf today for more details and help.