When a marriage ends badly, exes may take their emotions out on an ex or try to make a divorce as difficult as possible.
If you suspect your spouse may have motivations like this and you are getting divorced, consider the following recommendations for protecting yourself from a resentful ex.
Prioritize your privacy
During a divorce, a vindictive ex may go to great lengths to find unflattering information about you. They might hack into social media accounts or use technological devices to gain access to a person’s life. Thus, you can protect yourself by:
- Changing all your social media passwords
- Disconnecting smart home devices
- Unpairing devices from an ex’s phone and tablet
- Setting up a new Wi-Fi network and protecting it with a new password
Further, there are various legal tools that you can use to protect your privacy during a divorce if you are concerned about your safety and well-being. You can discuss these options with your attorney.
Restrict communications
Words can be taken out of context; they can be twisted and used against you. Thus, it would be wise to be cautious with what you say and how you say it during a divorce.
To avoid giving your ex ammunition during a divorce, keep communications in writing and refrain from lashing out on social media. If you do have personal interactions, such as custody exchanges or removing personal belongings from your home, keep them brief and have a witness with you.
Prepare for litigation
If an ex is out to hurt your reputation or cause as much conflict as possible during a divorce, options like mediation may not be realistic. If the other person is incapable of or unwilling to work together toward a peaceful outcome, there may be no way to avoid litigation.
Under these circumstances, the process can be contentious, so working with an attorney to prepare for court can be critical.
For some people, the legal process proves to be the most challenging aspect of a divorce. For others, it is their ex that makes things so complicated. Whatever obstacles you might face, know that there is another side to divorce. With support and guidance, you can get to it faster and more peacefully.