Sometimes in a divorce, one party may try to gain an unfair advantage by manipulating the other spouse into conceding more than they should. If you are going through a divorce, it is important to recognize the signs of manipulation to protect your interests.
Manipulation in a divorce can take many forms. Here are some ways you can determine if your spouse is trying to manipulate you during your Arkansas divorce.
Emotional manipulation
Emotional manipulation can include guilt trips, victim-playing and gaslighting, where your spouse tries to make you doubt your feelings or perceptions. If you find that your spouse is regularly making you feel guilty or questioning your reality, they might be trying to manipulate you.
Financial manipulation
Financial manipulation can involve hiding assets or misleading you about the true value of assets to get a larger share in the divorce settlement. Forbes recognizes the following signs of this kind of manipulation:
- Your spouse becomes very controlling over finances
- They do secret transactions or refuse to explain their actions to you
- Your spouse has a tendency to lie, especially about money
- They ask you to sign legal documents that they don’t allow you to read
If you see unexplained withdrawals, transfers or changes in your financial statements, your spouse might be trying to manipulate the financial outcome of your divorce.
Manipulation involving children
Using children as a pawn in a divorce is a form of manipulation that can be particularly harmful. This could involve your spouse trying to turn your children against you or using them to gain sympathy or leverage in the divorce proceedings. If you notice changes in your children’s behavior or attitudes towards you, it could be a sign of this kind of manipulation.
If you think your spouse is trying to manipulate you in your divorce, it is important to take steps to protect yourself. This can involve gathering and safeguarding your financial records, seeking emotional support and not allowing your spouse to make you feel guilty or confused.