Divorce is rarely an easy endeavor. After all, you’re going to be tasked with untangling your life from someone with whom you’ve lived for years or even decades. Although the logistics of it all can be tremendously stressful, the emotional toll taken by the process can be overwhelming. And as if the divorce process itself isn’t challenging enough, the matter can become even more complicated when you’re divorcing someone who you know is a compulsive liar.
Tips for successfully divorcing a liar
It may seem impossible to successfully get through a divorce when you’re dealing with someone who will lie about anything and everything to get what they want, but there are steps that you can take to make the process smoother and better protect your interests. Let’s take a look at some of those strategies:
- Gather documentary evidence: If your spouse is going to lie throughout your divorce proceedings, you’re going to have to find a way to contradict them. There’s usually no better way to do that than to present documentary evidence that supports your position. So, if you have photographs, financial records, police reports or mental health records, carefully think through how you use those to your advantage in your case.
- Don’t let your spouse’s lies sway the way you feel: Your spouse might use lying as a way to get you to agree with them, which could affect how important legal issues like those pertaining to spousal support and child custody play out. So, as you go into your divorce, you need to make sure that you firmly know your position and are prepared to stick to it. Keeping a journal of divorce-related events and communications with your spouse may be helpful here. Also be ready for your spouse to try to convince you that you’re wrong on multiple issues and for a variety of reasons.
- Don’t take it personally: If your spouse lies about everything, it can be easy to feel like they are doing so just to get the best of you. But try not to take their behavior personally. Instead, remind yourself that their lying is just a behavior that they can’t control, and they probably lie to everybody. With that mindset, you can set aside the emotional aspects of your divorce so that you can focus on the legal matters at hand.
- Be thorough in every regard: Since your spouse can’t be trusted to tell the truth, you have to have a firm understanding of the facts going into your divorce. This means knowing the intimate details of your marital finances and knowing every aspect of your child’s life and what’s in their best interests. This may require you to acquire assistance from experts who can help you address whatever issue it is that you may be facing.
Be prepared for the fight that awaits you
A lot of divorces are highly conflictual. But if you’re headed for marriage dissolution involving a compulsive liar, you might be in for more than you initially imagined. Don’t let your fear of conflict force you to rush a divorce settlement, though. Doing so is rarely in your best interests.
So, as you prepare to end your marriage, you may want to consider discussing your fears and what you want out of your divorce with a legal professional who can guide you through the process while advocating for your best interests. Hopefully, you can obtain an outcome that is right for you and sets you on the path toward the next successful chapter of your life.