While going through a divorce, you might have difficulty wading through all the information about how to do things “the right way” and deciding what serves your best interests. Unfortunately, most advice from well-meaning friends and family only applies to those with a reasonable spouse. Your spouse tends to be a narcissist, which can mean that he or she will ratchet up the tension and stress. But you may have ways to defuse the situation. For more information on how to divorce a narcissist in New Jersey, please continue reading, then contact an experienced Ocean County contested divorce attorney as soon as possible. Some tips for successfully navigating a divorce from a narcissist in New Jersey include:
Educating yourself about narcissism
Whenever possible, most people prefer amicable divorces. However, when divorcing a narcissist, you must accept that you will probably not have one. Since they tend to thrive on chaos and drama, a former spouse with narcissistic tendencies might not take good-faith actions or place your children’s needs above their own. As such, you should read up on helpful ways to interact with this personality type without stooping to their level or capitulating to their demands.
Preparing for litigation – without discounting mediation
When two parties can discuss issues face-to-face in a calm manner and entertain collaborative solutions, mediation works best. A narcissistic spouse likely will not participate in that kind of process. Such self-absorbed individuals thrive on conflict, which protracted litigation may feed. Therefore, you might want to reach out to an attorney who also has experience in Ocean County divorce mediation. Such an individual will help you:
- Adhere to an agenda
- Encourage frequent attorney consultations
- Caucus as necessary with each of you
Not showing emotion
Even if he or she initiates the divorce, a narcissist wants to stay emotionally engaged with you. In their mind, allowing you to move on would feel like a loss of control, which is why they will shower you with hostile communications, badmouth you to the children and others, make false allegations against you and find any opportunity to break you down. You should stay calm and restrict your interactions to terse communications about logistics and financial matters.
Keeping firm boundaries
Your ex is not entitled to know about your dating life or anything else that does not absolutely pertain to the divorce. Furthermore, if you have a court-ordered visitation plan or other strict arrangement, you should not let your former spouse manipulate you into inconveniencing yourself and your children just to suit his or her schedule.
Our attorneys have the experience needed to minimize conflict, so please reach out to our firm today.
Contact our experienced Ocean County firm
If you need a divorce and family law attorney in Ocean County, New Jersey, contact the Law Office of Sarina Gianna, LLC today to schedule a consultation.
