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Belittling your spouse during divorce is never a good idea

Divorce proceedings are never easy. This highly stressful and emotional process can take a mental toll on everyone involved. It is not uncommon for individuals going through divorce to turn to the people around them for support. Unfortunately, some end up disparaging their spouses in the process.

Divorcing couples often deprecate each other in an attempt to earn support and empathy from those around them. Others take to this behavior with the goal of spiting or taking revenge against their soon-to-be-ex. And yet, some spouses belittle their soon-to-be-ex to win the favor of the children and alienate the other parent. No matter the motivation, it is important to understand that speaking poorly about your future ex before, during and after the divorce process is never a good idea.

Here are two reasons why you should never depreciate your future ex.

 It hurts the kids

Children often find themselves caught up in their parents’ divorce battle. Through badmouthing and disparaging remarks, children are made to believe one parent is “good” while the other is “bad.” Obviously, this robs the children of the opportunity to build and maintain a healthy relationship with both parents – which can be detrimental to the child’s upbringing in the long run.

It can hurt your custody case

Badmouthing your future ex in the presence of the kids amounts to alienation. This can greatly affect your custody case should the court learn about your behavior. Sometimes, the court may grant a temporary injunction while the divorce is underway. Besides preventing potential conflicts, the injunction is may also be intended to prohibit the divorcing parties from engaging in unethical practices like parental alienation. Violating this injunction may amount to contempt, and there are consequences for this. For instance, you may lose your custody or visitation rights if the court establishes that your badmouthing behavior is hindering you from supporting a healthy relationship between your kids and the other parent.

Divorce comes with its share of stress. However, you must never let emotions take over and control your words and actions. Disparaging your soon-to-be-ex can hurt your divorce case in multiple ways.