Divorces deal with high-stakes issues of property division and child custody. The potential for intense conflict during proceedings is significant. When your ex is a controlling person or a narcissist, a high-conflict situation is almost guaranteed. Protect your family and your future by connecting with a Camas divorce lawyer from Dellino Family Law.
Our team has a five-star Trust Index rating. We are committed to providing loyal, exceptional representation to every client. A high conflict/narcissist family lawyer in Camas is here to stand with you and fight for you during your divorce.
What to Do and Not Do During a High-Conflict Divorce
Divorcing a narcissist or other controlling personality type comes with intense challenges. These soon-to-be exes don’t engage reasonably. Their goal is to satisfy their ego, and doing that usually involves hurting you and even your kids.
Moving through divorce proceedings effectively requires legal skill and emotional control. An experienced family lawyer in Camas or a committed intimate relationship lawyer can help on both fronts. We know how to uphold your rights under Washington law and how to stand up to difficult, self-involved, controlling spouses. We can help you deal with a high-conflict divorce so you can secure the best outcome.
Divorce affects entire families, and we can also explain how to support your kids during the process. We want to help you and your kids move toward a more hopeful, happier future. Don’t let a narcissistic spouse determine your finances or your relationship with your kids. Let us advocate for and protect you.
First Steps in a High-Conflict Divorce
The process for filing for divorce is the same whether your divorce is amicable or high-conflict. Per the Revised Code of Washington (RCW) 26.09.030, either party can petition for divorce without proving wrongdoing on the other spouse’s part. The State follows a no-fault system for divorce, and the petitioner can simply state that the marriage is irretrievably broken.
Although this system can remove conflict from some divorces, it is unlikely to help when you have a difficult partner. If you are the petitioner, a narcissistic partner may take offense to your request, positioning themselves as a victim and challenging your attempts to end the marriage civilly.
The same outcome can be expected if the narcissist is the petitioner. They may make false accusations against you to increase sympathy from family and friends or to turn your kids against you. Unfortunately, narcissists are effective manipulators.
Secure Representation from a Powerful High Conflict/Narcissistic Family Lawyer in Camas
Partnering with a skilled Camas high conflict/narcissist family lawyer is critical for protecting yourself from a narcissist’s strategies. According to Harvard Health Publishing, narcissistic personality disorder symptoms include:
- Lack of empathy
- Grandiosity
- A sense of entitlement
- The need for admiration
- Exploitative behaviors
- Hypersensitivity to criticism
These tendencies can translate into unfair divorce demands. Your partner will care about their finances, but not yours. They will want the kids to love them rather than you. They may take your desire to divorce as an insult and seek to punish you for that criticism. Dellino Family Law is well equipped to counter these efforts and help you move forward.
Addressing Key Issues in a High-Conflict Divorce
While your partner resorts to manipulation and accusations to achieve their goals, our team comes armed with Washington law and extensive experience in de-escalating high-conflict situations.
Property Division
Washington is a community property state. Under RCW 26.09.080, assets and debts acquired during a marriage count as “shared” or “marital” property, with some exceptions. The court has discretion in dividing the property.
Your spouse may try to hide assets or lay claim to more than their fair share of marital property. We can work to expose dishonesty, present accurate financial situations for you and your spouse, and fight for fair distribution.
Child Custody and Support
Parenting agreements determine how much time a child lives with or visits each parent, and how much say each parent has in making important decisions for the child. Child support is a separate issue and refers to the contributions each parent must make to meet the child’s financial needs.
The Court’s priority is serving the child’s best interests. Your spouse could make accusations of abuse, lie to your kids about you, or otherwise try to punish you to earn the judge’s sympathy. A Camas high conflict/narcissist family attorney can challenge their attempts and preserve your relationship with your children.
Spousal Maintenance
The Court doesn’t automatically order spousal maintenance, which is money one partner must pay the other during and/or after the divorce. Depending on the situation, your narcissistic spouse could refuse to make fair payments or demand that you pay them an unreasonable amount.
Again, they may implement convincing manipulative tactics to reach their goal. We know how to expose those tactics and present the truth.
Fighting Back Against Violations of Court Orders
Narcissists, abusers, or controlling personalities often believe the rules do not apply to them. The judge could issue temporary child custody or spousal maintenance orders, and your spouse may refuse to comply. They could respond the same way to orders issued in the final divorce decree.
If your spouse violates the orders, document each violation and contact our attorneys immediately. Dealing with your ex on your own could put you in danger or give them the opportunity to turn the tables on you. Let us take the matter before the judge. We know how to prove contempt in family court.
Our team is here for you during and after your divorce. Although the hope is that the final decree will settle matters once and for all, high-conflict divorces can continue to produce problems even after finalization. You don’t have to manage those conflicts alone, and you shouldn’t. Instead, call on us.
We Can Help You Move Forward
Ending a marriage can be scary, especially when you know the divorce process will be filled with conflict. Dellino Family Law will help you navigate that conflict and move into your future.
Connect with a Camas high conflict/narcissist family lawyer from our team. We’re ready to listen and ready to get to work.
