When you and your spouse are going through a contested divorce in Ohio, there are some tactics for which you’ll need to prepare. This is because the very nature of a contested divorce indicates the two of you have had some degree of conflict ending your marriage.

While many couples opt for dissolution as an end to their marriage, when you both can’t amicably agree on the specific issues of your divorce, such as property distribution or child custody, you’ll have to proceed with a contested divorce.

Be Prepared for Dishonest Tactics in a Contested Divorce

When this happens, your best bet is to work side by side with a divorce attorney in Delaware, Ohio throughout the entire process. Your attorney can help manage the tedious details of your contested divorce in Ohio, but can also help prepare you for some commonly used tactics your spouse may attempt.

Your divorce attorney in Delaware, Ohio may caution you with regards to the following 8 dishonest tactics which may be attempted in your contested divorce case, including:

  • lying;
  • cutting the other spouse off financially;
  • alienating children from the other spouse;
  • hiding property;
  • making false allegations of abuse;
  • delaying the divorce;
  • failing to pay specific court fees (guardian ad litem); and
  • making one spouse do all the work (specifically, when disclosing your assets.)

Addressing Dishonesty in a Contested Divorce in Ohio

When it comes to lying and false accusations, anything the two of you allege throughout your contested divorce in Ohio must be backed up with proof, that is, if you have a lawyer bound by rules of the Ohio Bar. One spouse can actually choose not to have a divorce attorney in Delaware, Ohio and then make inflated accusations.

While it will likely be thrown out in front of a judge and work to harm your spouse’s case, the time you and your attorney may spend addressing some of the accusations could have been spent building evidence on other crucial issues.

Nevertheless, your divorce attorney in Delaware, Ohio will recognize when your spouse attempts tactics such as lying and when necessary, can gather the appropriate proof to present to a judge, who will see right through the dishonesty.

Perhaps two of the most heated issues throughout any contested divorce in Ohio involve children and money. When your spouse attempts dishonest tactics that threaten your time with your children or your financial security, it may be hard to keep a cool head.

Dealing with Dishonest Tactics in a Contested Divorce: Finances

Luckily, your divorce attorney in Delaware, Ohio, has likely dealt with similar issues before and can best address them. One such dishonest tactic occurs when one spouse squirrels away money leading up to or during your contested divorce. This can significantly impact your immediate financial wellbeing and ability to afford counsel throughout your proceedings.

In other situations, one spouse may attempt to hide, sell or spend assets in an attempt to keep them from being divided in a property settlement agreement. Your divorce attorney in Delaware, Ohio, has dealt with such situations before and knows which records to investigate to prove your spouse’s tactics.

Often, one spouse sits back and lets the other compose the lengthy list of assets to be scrutinized during the discovery portion of a contested divorce. This can ultimately result in a property settlement in your favor, especially since your divorce attorney in Delaware, Ohio, has the time and resources to make sure you comply with each of the court’s requirements.

Unfairly Involving the Children in Dishonest Tactics

Your spouse likely knows how much your children mean to you, and if he or she has been uncooperative throughout your contested divorce in Ohio, you should expect an attempt at parental alienation. This is more than just speaking negatively about you in front of your children. It could involve purposely not telling you about recitals or events in your children’s lives, or could mean extreme obstacles with your scheduled visitation.

When parental alienation occurs, your divorce attorney in Delaware, Ohio, can actually show the effect it has on your children through psychological assessments, all which will prove to backfire on a dishonest soon-to-be-ex.

There is no doubt a contested divorce in Ohio is one of the hardest things you’ll have to deal with in your adult life. But to help ease the process when your wellbeing has been threatened with dishonest tactics, you’ll want a divorce attorney in Delaware, Ohio by your side each step of the way.

Author's Bio: 

Jack Carney is a sole practitioner attorney practicing law in the areas of personal injury, family law and social security disability. He had been a practicing attorney for over 20 years. He have lived and worked in Central Ohio for most of the past 35 years. While attending night law school at Capital University, he learned the ropes of the legal system by serving as a law clerk/bailiff and later staff attorney at the Ohio Court of Claims, located in Columbus Ohio from 1988-1991. He has graduated from Capital Law School in 1991.