Intentionally Delaying Divorce

It’s likely that when you entered into your marriage, you never imagined that one day you’d be going through the divorce process. Unfortunately, not every marriage is built to last forever. As you prepare your divorce papers, your spouse may drag their feet on the divorce agreement.

Are they intentionally delaying the divorce? If your spouse is intentionally delaying divorce, it can make the process even lengthier and more complex. When one spouse decides that this union is over, the other spouse may respond with emotional or vindictive behavior and even use delay tactics to drag things out deliberately.

The Law Office of Cosmas Onyia is committed to resolving family law cases efficiently to help you move forward in your divorce proceedings. In this blog post, we outline the most common sneaky divorce tactics and how a divorce attorney can help you through them.

Common Delay Tactics During the Divorce Process

When one spouse engages in sneaky divorce tactics, it can cause court proceedings to drag on in the legal process. Your emotional well-being, family dynamic, and finances may be at stake. This outline of various tactics can help you navigate proceedings should your spouse choose to attempt delays.

Hiding Assets

Even though Arizona follows community property law, one spouse may attempt to hide assets from the other spouse for financial gain. This common tactic may involve transferring money or assets to family members, hiding valuable items, making large purchases under someone else’s name, or deliberately failing to report income correctly. 

Intentionally Delaying the Divorce

Delaying the divorce intentionally may be a ploy to gain an advantage over you. Such delays may include sneaky tactics like refusing to sign the required paperwork, requesting changes to the scheduling order, changing lawyers frequently, making unreasonable demands, or simply refusing to communicate with you by any means. 

When your spouse is intentionally delaying divorce, it is vital to have a divorce attorney on your side to help you combat sneaky divorce tactics. Look for a divorce lawyer with experience in family law to provide the legal counsel you need through these challenges.

Pressure for Quick Settlement

It may seem like a relief if your spouse is pushing to settle things quickly. This sneaky divorce tactic might indicate that your spouse is hiding something, perhaps other assets or critical information that, if revealed, could make things less favorable to them. They want to trick you into thinking that they just want to resolve this in a timely manner when they’re merely using smoke and mirrors in the hopes that you won’t notice what they’re hiding.

With the help of a divorce attorney, such situations can be avoided as they will carefully and thoroughly review all paperwork before you sign or proceed with the process in court. 

Turning the Children Against You for Child Custody

There are a few ways that one party can turn the children against the other party in a divorce. Your spouse may try to manipulate your children at the end of your marriage, blaming the divorce on you. 

If you are currently in a separation period, they may decrease the amount of time the children spend in your custody. Both tactics may turn your children against you, creating the desired effect for your spouse. Divorce cases bring up these complex issues where children are used as pawns by the other parent in an attempt to sabotage the divorce terms or get full custody.

Divorce lawyers are familiar with these methods that attempt to destroy familial relations. If your spouse is turning the children against you or limiting your time with them, you should make sure you have an attorney who can provide legal options that help you through the process while preserving your well-being.

Making False Allegations About Your Character

In divorce cases where the parties share children, spiteful spouses may respond to court orders by making false allegations about the other parent’s character. These false accusations may be completely unfounded, and while your legal team will sort it out, it can spell more attorney fees for you as you contend with the lies.

Your spouse may claim you engage in acts of family violence, child abuse, domestic violence, drug or alcohol abuse, or criminal behavior. This tactic to delay divorce is one of the most challenging as you must deal with the impacts on your reputation and career in the middle of your divorce. Additionally, your children may believe these lies, which is why a bitter spouse may spew them in hopes of gaining custody and assets.

How to Respond to Intentional Delay from Your Spouse

Your spouse might be playing mind games and dirty tricks, but with the help of divorce lawyers, you can push past their delay attempts. A great way to do this is by having your lawyer set a final trial date in court. Often, setting a court date takes things in a clear direction, moving it toward resolution. 

Since there is already a 60-day waiting period that applies to both parties when divorce is filed, it may be a challenge to hang in there a little longer. When you’ve exhausted all efforts in your divorce, and your ex still refuses to negotiate in good faith or go on a crusade against your character, it can make time feel like it’s standing still. 

Ultimately, the best defense against these tactics used in divorce is to have solid legal representation. With the help of attorneys, you will not be alone as you work to unbind yourself from this marital union legally.

Get Help Fighting These Common Tactics in Your Divorce Proceedings

Unfortunately, the person you marry may wind up changing for the worse, making it difficult to live up to the vows you made on your wedding day. When you attempt to sever ties and dissolve the marriage, they may show their true colors.

Some people may try to grab all the assets while others will fight to keep kids away, even when their partner is a wonderful and devoted parent. Your spouse may be shattered that you no longer desire them, or they may have other motivations for behaving in these abhorrent ways. The games people play in divorce can get incredibly messy, and there is absolutely no benefit to doing it on your own.

An attorney for divorce cases can help you navigate through this challenging time by ensuring that all paperwork is filed accordingly. Your divorce attorney will be familiar with the process and be able to move things along. If your ex is trying to stall things, your attorney will know precisely how to respond. In the event that they are spreading falsehoods about you, your rights will be protected by someone who cares about representing your best interests. 

The Law Office of Cosmas Onyia understands the pain and heartbreak that comes with divorce, even when you know that it is the best option. We represent our clients with compassion and care and work to resolve issues that arise from these types of delays. Our goal is to arrive at a fair outcome and protect you from the harm that your ex is trying to inflict to hold you back. Schedule a consultation today to discuss the circumstances surrounding your divorce and get the representation you deserve.