Divorcing a Narcissist: Strategies to Cope

You may be like a good number of people who find themselves involved in a New Jersey divorce that involves an opposing party that has personality issues. One of the most challenging situations is one in which a person is heading into divorce proceedings against a narcissistic spouse. If this is the case for you, there are some strategies to consider as a means to cope with divorcing a narcissist.

Perhaps the most important coping mechanism when it comes to divorcing a narcissistic spouse is to bear in mind that true narcissism is a bona fide (or actual) personality disorder. Narcissistic personality disorder is a recognized mental health condition.

If you are heading into or in the midst of a divorce from a narcissistic spouse, you need to understand completely that the other party in the case is not “going through a phase.” You may have already recognized this fact during the course of your marriage. However, bear in mind that attributes associated with narcissistic personality disorder are likely to become more pronounced during a divorce case.

When divorcing a narcissist, you need to be open to the need to engage professionals. As will be discussed in a moment, one of these professionals needs to be a New Jersey divorce lawyer. You will also want to consider scheduling time with an experienced counselor or therapist.

Another reality is divorcing a narcissist is found in the fact that the conduct of the other party in such a situation can take an emotional toll on you. The level of emotional challenges you may face in such a situation oftentimes can be best managed and addressed with professional support and assistance.

Because of the nature of a narcissist, such an individual will have his or her sights on fighting mightily during divorce proceedings. In other words, and as a New Jersey divorce lawyer will confirm, you need to be prepared for a battle when divorcing a person with narcissistic personality disorder. A case involving this type of party is not likely to settle and is more apt to result in a heated, combative divorce trial.

A narcissistic spouse in a divorce case is also going to be very likely to try to turn your children into pawns during the proceedings. (Odds are that if your spouse is a narcissist, this type of behavior has already been exhibited.)

A New Jersey divorce lawyer will explain to you that in a divorce case involving children, the best interests of a child standard comes into play. It is never in the best interests of a child for a youngster to be turned into a pawn by one (or both) parents.

When dealing with a narcissistic spouse is a divorce case, legal assistance becomes all the more important. When you are divorcing a narcissist, bear in mind that the opposing party is not at all likely to be willing to settle the case in any reasonable way. In the end, in nearly any divorce proceeding involving a person with narcissistic personality disorder, only legal assistance provided by a New Jersey divorce lawyer can provide a sense of order in the proceedings. A skilled New Jersey divorcer lawyer is in the best position to protect your vital interests when you face opposition in a marriage dissolution proceeding in the form of a narcissist.

If you are divorcing a narcissist, call us today at (201) 845-7400.