Divorce is tough enough as it is. But it can be even more complicated when your spouse lies to you about everything. This can lead to more conflict, tension, and stress. You may be left feeling like you’re never going to get through your divorce, and you might be worried that you’ll give in on important matters so that you can just get the process over with.
Rushing your divorce, regardless of the circumstances, can be dangerous, though. It might leave you at a financial disadvantage, and the resulting custody order may limit your time with your children. If you want to stop that from happening, then you need to know how to navigate your divorce when your spouse is a liar.
Tips for divorcing a lying spouse
We know that the road ahead of you may be long and hard. But there are things that you can do to try to make your divorce a little easier and a little less stressful. Here are some of those tips:
- Have evidence to contradict your spouse: Your spouse is going to claim that they’re right no matter what you say. That’s why you’ll want to find other evidence that supports your position and contradicts your spouse. This may be anything from text messages and emails to financial records, police reports, and statements from your child.
- Minimize contact: If your spouse’s lying creates conflict, then you might want to try limiting contact with your spouse. This gives you less that you have to push back against, and you can vent outside the presence of your spouse, which will reduce stress and tension.
- Write down everything: It can be easy to get twisted up in your words when you’re dealing with a compulsive liar. After all, our memories can get fuzzy over time, which leaves us susceptible to persuasion. But if you write down everything, you can better ensure that you have a clear recollection of events and can effectively counter what your spouse says.
- Practice patience: We know that your patience can be tried when dealing with a lying spouse, but you’ll want to try to remain calm when dealing with him or her if you want to reduce tension in your divorce.
- Find a way to let your spouse win: You don’t want to give into every demand made by your spouse, but you may be able to get through your divorce easier if you can find some smaller issues that you can let your spouse “win” on. Again, you don’t want to simply give up on divorce matters that are important to you, so be careful here.
- Find support: There’s a good chance that you’re going to feel stressed, depressed, and depleted as you move through your divorce. But you can ease the burden of these emotions by seeking out support from your family, friends, and perhaps even a mental health professional. This can make it easier to get through the tough time that you’re having with your spouse.
Do you need help with your divorce?
Navigating the complexities of your divorce can be hard enough without a complicating factor like a lying spouse. That’s why you might want to have an advocate on your side who can help you fight for fairness during your marriage dissolution.