In a couple of recent posts, we discussed what it can be like to go through a divorce from a narcissist. In “Divorcing a Narcissist: 5 Steps to Protect Yourself” we talked about how your narcissistic soon-to-be-ex-spouse might blame you for everything and try to control every aspect of the divorce—including your post-divorce life. In “Divorcing A Narcissist: 5 Strategies For Getting Through It” we offered some tips for defusing high conflict interactions with an ex who feeds on conflict and will stop at nothing in trying to gain the upper hand.
If you’ve been reading all of this and you recognize your own ex in our descriptions, you might be feeling more than a little bit discouraged and intimidated. Perhaps you were hoping for a low conflict divorce, were considering mediation, or at least hoped to settle some of your issues out of court. If your ex is so self-centered that seeing anyone else’s side is out of the question, how can you possibly proceed?
Well, take a deep breath and a step back while we take a closer look at some of these issues: Read more
Decided to Divorce? Four Questions to Ask Yourself Before Moving Out of the Family Home
When spouses make the decision to separate or divorce, the next step typically involves one spouse moving out of the family home. But is this next step the right step? If you are the spouse thinking about moving out, make sure you have considered all the potential legal ramifications of leaving your home.
Should you stay or go? Here are four questions you need to be able to answer before making a move:
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Divorce And Social Media: Why What You Post Can Come Back to Haunt You
Your fondness for posting vacation photos on social media platforms may come back to haunt you during a custody battle. At least, that’s what happened to a psychiatrist in New York in 2015. After she and her husband split, she posted Facebook photos of herself enjoying the sights in Italy and Boston. Her husband claimed these pictures were evidence that her traveling schedule kept her away from home too often and that he, the primary caregiver for their 4-year-old son, should be awarded full custody. The judge ruled that the wife’s social media profile should be allowed as evidence and ordered her to release her login information.
This story demonstrates how even the benign use of social media can have potentially devastating consequences in custody proceedings. With most people having at least some social media footprint, divorce cases like this one are likely to become more frequent in family court. Here are some social media do’s and don’ts to consider when going through divorce. Read more
Post-Season Financial Preparedness: Who Owns the Holiday Gifts?
If you were lucky enough to receive a particularly high-value gift over the holiday season, and you are also married or soon-to-be-married, then you may want to take a moment to consider the ownership of that gift. While no one wants to think about the possibility of divorce during happy times, those happy times often present the best opportunity for planning. Financial preparedness is like insurance—if you wait to think about it until you need it, you could be too late.
So what are the rules in New Jersey regarding gifts and divorce? Read more
7 Steps To Filing For Divorce In New Jersey
You’ve made the decision to divorce, so what can you expect next? The divorce process will require you to divide all marital assets and debts, establish alimony and child support if applicable, and determine custody arrangements for your children. To get the process started, you first need to file the appropriate forms and paperwork. Here are seven important steps to take during this initial stage of divorce: Read more
Answering Older Children’s Questions About Divorce
One of the most difficult tasks of divorce is telling your children you’re splitting up. Before you sit down to give them the news, it’s important to anticipate questions they might have and be prepared for how to answer them. Read more
How To Protect Children of Divorce From Depression
New Jersey Divorce Chronicles Part 12: Will Sharon and Robert Go to Trial?
In our last installment of our ongoing divorce case study series, we saw Melissa and Jason making good progress with the division of their marital assets and debts in mediation. Meanwhile, the disappointing recommendations Sharon got from the Marital Early Settlement Panel (MESP) in Part 8 just seemed to get worse for her in Part 10. Read more
Dividing a Family Business in Divorce
6 Perilous Divorce Mistakes Women Make
Putting Narcissism & Divorce into Perspective: Negotiate with Caution
If you’ve been reading all of this and you recognize your own ex in our descriptions, you might be feeling more than a little bit discouraged and intimidated. Perhaps you were hoping for a low conflict divorce, were considering mediation, or at least hoped to settle some of your issues out of court. If your ex is so self-centered that seeing anyone else’s side is out of the question, how can you possibly proceed?
Well, take a deep breath and a step back while we take a closer look at some of these issues: Read more