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Divorcing a narcissist

On Behalf of | Jan 26, 2022 | Divorce |

Most people who get married in New Jersey want to stay together as long as they can, but marriages don’t always work out. While there are many reasons for divorce, some people decide to end their marriage after suffering from narcissistic abuse. If you’re considering divorce and your spouse is a narcissist, here are some important things you should know about the divorce process.

High-conflict divorces

A divorce is considered high-conflict if it leads to significant emotional stress and affects all members of the family in a negative way. If the ending of a couple’s marriage stems from a lack of trust, anger issues or the refusal to compromise, the divorce is likely high-conflict. These divorces can lead to lengthy and costly litigation as well as financial stress and prolonged periods of anxiety and depression. These factors can affect the parents as well as the children.

Filing for divorce from a narcissist will likely involve a significant amount of conflict since narcissists thrive on conflict. However, if you’re dealing with a covert narcissist, they will likely want to avoid confrontation and use other methods such as slandering your name to family and friends or using an aggressive attorney to speak for them. The covert narcissist will pretend to be the innocent victim, which can make the divorce even more difficult.

When children are involved

If a divorcing couple has children and one spouse is a narcissist, the divorce can get especially complicated. Parents have to decide how assets will be separated, and child support and visitation agreements must be established. To a narcissist, their children will become collateral in the divorce, which can cause even more emotional strain for the children.

Divorcing a narcissist can be more challenging than a person expects. However, getting out of an abusive marriage relationship may be worth all the conflict of going through divorce.

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