Exterior of the offices of Sevila Saunders Huddleston & White PC
Professional Service.
Engaged In The Community.

How to respond when your ex makes financial threats in divorce

Even in the most civil of divorces, there often will be times where things get heated. One spouse may feel like his or her financial situation or relationship with his or her children is being threatened.

He or she then lashes out, telling his or her spouse that she or he will not get one cent in the division of marital assets. Or maybe he or she threatens to take away the ex’s child custody rights. Anything he or she can say to frighten or intimidate his or he spouse, he or she will.

Hopefully, such incidents are rare, and cooler heads prevail during the divorce. But in the moment, such threats can be scary. After all, your divorce will play a large part in determining your future. Imagining life without money or your kids would be frightening for anyone.

But it is a bad idea to cave in to these emotional, irrational demands or threats. Instead, here are some tips for dealing with an angry spouse during divorce:

  • Take notes of what he or she says. This can help your divorce attorney. It can also take the power out of the words by seeing them on the page.
  • Know your financial situation. Learning what is in your marital assets, and how those assets can be split up under the law in Virginia, can help you refute what your spouse is claiming will happen.
  • Do not engage on his or her level. Trading threats will only make the situation worse.
  • If your spouse makes you feel that you or your children are physically unsafe, take steps immediately to protect yourself.

Source: Forbes, “How To Cope With Your Husband’s Financial Threats During Divorce,” Jeff Landers, Jan. 8, 2014

A full-service firm dedicated to helping the community for more than
40 years