Dealing with and Unreasonable Opponent
Any type of family law case is often fraught with high emotions, and this can sometimes bring out the worst in people. Even when people have been reasonable in the past, the anger and hurt feelings can suddenly turn him or her into an irrational individual who refuses to listen to reason. There are important steps you can take to sidestep or deal with illogical and arbitrarily poor behavior from your spouse in a family law case.
The simplest way is to hire an attorney. Attorneys, especially family law attorneys, have vast experience in dealing with unreasonable people. An attorney can shield you from unwarranted attacks from your spouse by requiring all correspondence to flow through the attorney. In addition, an attorney can file a motion with the court to restrict certain behavior, if the behavior is sufficiently egregious.
Another way is to keep all interaction in writing. Having a paper trail to show your attorney and ultimately the judge that your spouse is making bad-tempered or unprovoked unreasonable requests can be helpful if you have to go to court in an effort to end the harassment. Knowing that the correspondence is in writing may also make your spouse think twice before acting..
A spouse’s unwillingness to correspond or cooperate with the other spouse in a more reasonable fashion can be hurtful to his or her case. This is especially true where there are children involved. Custody and visitation determinations are made based on a child’s best interest, and one of the factors to be considered by the court is the parties’ willingness to work together for the benefit of the children. If your spouse is being unreasonable and refuses to communicate or only does so in an unhelpful manner, it will work against them. While it is incredibly frustrating to deal with such unreasonable behavior in the moment, try to remember that the behavior will only back fire on the irrational spouse.
Unreasonable opponents can make a difficult process even harder. The best defense against this type of behavior is an experienced attorney. Contact us today at (732) 529-6937 to talk about your divorce and how we can help you.
About the Author
John Nachlinger is a co-founder and managing attorney of Netsquire, a family law firm focused on streamlining divorces through effective mediation, settlement drafting, and court filing assistance. As a New Jersey Qualified Mediator, John guides couples toward equitable agreements without the cost and stress of litigation.
Recognized as a New Jersey Super Lawyer for over a decade, John’s client-focused approach aims to foster understanding during challenging transitions. With a background spanning top law journals, judicial clerkships, and boutique family law firms, John now applies his analytical skills to create workable solutions for all parties. His mediation services reshape the divorce journey by prioritizing compassion and compromise.
