- Divorce can be a difficult process, no matter how amicable your separation may be.
- According to the US Census Bureau, divorce rates are on the rise among adults 50 and older, roughly doubling since the 1990s.
- Here are eight of the worst divorce horror stories from both clients and lawyers.
Divorce is never easy, and among certain age groups, divorce rates are increasing. For instance, since the 1990s,the divorce rate has doubled among adults 50 years old and up, according to 2015 statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics and US Census Bureau, the Pew Research Center reported.
Of course, some divorces go better than others — while some are amicable, others are the opposite.
Toni Coleman, a psychotherapist and relationship coach, said that divorce may not always go as well as planned. "People often underestimate the potential stress and fallout that they will facewhen they decide to divorce," she told Business Insider.
"Too often, they assume their partner will be reasonable and will want to work together in order to minimize the emotional and financial toll on themselves and any children they may share."
But that isn't always the case.Here, eight people share their divorce horror stories.
SEE ALSO: How to know when it's time to break up with your partner, according to dating experts
He scammed me.
"In our less than seven-month marriage, my then-husband schemed and scammed between $60,000-100,000 from me. In the almost year-long courtship, he groomed me.
"I'm about the fifth or sixth person he's scammed, and I got out pretty quickly — but I'm in so much debt because of him. I'm trying to save my credit and make payments while hoping I'll recoup some or any of mymoney through the legal system."
— Anonymous, 39, submitted with permission by Joseph A. Davis of Fit Divorce Planning
He committed fraud.
"In this case, the parties' divorce was ongoing for several years. Lawyers working for both parties were engaged in valuing the marital estate, which included substantial debt. At primary issue, the valuation of the husband's business, a printing and advertising company. The company was (allegedly) in the cellar, barely scraping by, and under significant debt. The warehouse had, literally, been flooded by recent rainstorms.
"As a result of all of these events, the wife's attorneys (not us!) and the wife, upon the recommendation of the forensic accountant that had been appointed by the court to perform valuation issues and forensic work, agreed that the value of the business was minimal, at best. A settlement agreement was signed with wife waiving her rights to the business for just a minimal payout (which was to be paid out to her over five years).
"Fast forward 363 days after the divorce: Wife learns that not only had husband sold his business shortly after the parties' divorce, but that he was even hired by the company to run their new division! She came and hired us, with two days to go to reopen the divorce case (which has a one-year look back) on the basis of the husband's fraud.
"After working around the clock, we filed an application with the court, which was granted, compelling the husband to provide the details about the sale. What was found was unbelievable: the husband had sold the business literally the same day that he had signed the settlement agreement and the parties' were divorced!
"He had lied to his lawyer, lied to the forensic accountant, and lied to the court. Suffice it to say, months and months of litigation ensued, ultimately culminating in the wife's receipt of a substantial additional settlement. Lesson to be learned: Investigation is key."
— Karolina Dehnhard, divorce attorney
I took on excessive legal costs.
"In 2009, I remarried. There had been years when my wife's ex-husband legally and financially bullied her as a single mother.
"However, I never imagined that nine years later, my total legal costs would exceed $60,000 because of her ex-husband's harassing lawsuits and non-compliance with court orders. I ended up writing an eBook about it, 'Dispute It – A Layman's Guide on How to Get an Attorney Refund & File a Bar Grievance.'"
—Kenneth R. Gilley, 53
See the rest of the story at Business Insider