Have Things Gone From Okay To Bad? What To Do If Your Divorce Is Turning Hostile
During a divorce, tensions and emotions are running high. It doesn't take much to turn an amicable divorce into a hostile one. If your once amicable divorce has turned hostile, you need to pay attention to the warning signs. Your spouse may be showing signs of hostility now, but things could turn violent. This is particularly true if your spouse has ever shown signs of violence in the past. If things have been getting progressively more hostile between you and your spouse as the divorce proceeds, here are four things you need to do right away.
Have Your Meetings in a Public Place
If your spouse acts more aggressively in public, start having your meetings in a public place. Your spouse might be less inclined to act out if there is an audience that can serve as a witness for you. It's also a good idea to bring someone along for support. Have them sit nearby so that they can come to your assistance should the need arise.
Document Your Meetings
It might not seem like much now, but if the episodes become more violent, you're going to need the evidence. That's why it's crucial that you start documenting the episodes. Start keeping a detailed record about each meeting you have with your spouse. List specific details about the meetings, including what happened, where you were and whether there were any outbursts. If there were, try to document what the trigger was that brought on the event.
Get Your Attorney Involved
If your attempts to keep things civil have failed, and your spouse is becoming more hostile, it's time to get your attorney involved. Your attorney will be able to help you obtain an order of protection, which will help keep your spouse away from you. It's important to note that once you have your order of protection, you'll need to contact law enforcement as soon as your spouse tries to break the order. Your attorney will also be able to arrange for future meetings to occur in their office. This will ensure that all future meetings between you and your spouse will be carefully monitored by both attorneys.
Contact Law Enforcement
As stated earlier, if your spouse tries to break the order of protection, by contacting you or showing up at your place of employment, you'll need to contact law enforcement immediately. Not only will law enforcement officials be able to enforce the order for you, but they can also provide documentation of each time your spouse breaks the order of protection.
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