49 Divorce Lawyers Share The Most Evil Things They’ve Seen Couples Do To Each Other 

Not a lawyer but a veterinarian. We had a guy try to have his estranged wife's dog euthanized during a messy divorce. Fortunately for her and the dog, the dog was already our patient and our policy was not to do any treatment without at least verbal consent from the client on the pet's chart. She was the only one who'd ever brought the dog in before that and hadn't put her husband's name on the paperwork, so after he checked in the technician called the owner on file to speak with her about why her slightly old but apparently healthy dog was being brought in for euthanasia.

Turned out he'd stopped by the house earlier that day and stolen the dog from the yard. She'd had no idea where they were until we called. Police were involved, and ultimately the dog made it back home safely.

Divorce attorney for about 13 years, based outside Philly. Had a client who lived in Ohio, 8yo son living with mom in PA. He got diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (terminal of course, about 2 month timeline). Mother refused to let the kid visit dad one last time before he passed; wouldn't even let the kid's older half-siblings pick him up for a weekend visit. Took it to court to try to force mom's hand and the judge's response blew my mind even more than mom's obstinance. Per the judge, "Can't the kid just Facetime dad? I don't see what the big deal is with forcing mom to do something she doesn't want to do." Left that courtroom feeling like I got dragged through the liquid garbage pit in Star Wars. Dad died a few weeks after the hearing without ever getting to say goodbye to his son and without his son getting any sense of closure. Don't think mom even let him have the Facetime call with dad. Can only hope that kid is doing alright and has gotten all the therapy.

Edit: Oh yeah almost forgot, at the time of the hearing, mom was awaiting sentencing for her 4th or 5th DUI in the past 5 years, but rich blonde white ladies apparently don't go to jail in Bucks Co so she got to skate with community service and probation somehow. If that kid is still alive and not in foster care, it would be a miracle.

2nd PS- For those wondering "what Dad did to lose custody," Dad had primary after Mom's 3rd DUI, which she actually did the mandatory minimum for. Custody judge transferred primary to Mom upon her release because Dad stopped taking the kid from Ohio to Pa to visit Mom in jail toward tail end of her sentence. Kid was getting freaked out by the visits because Mom was in full blown withdrawal psychosis, making insane promises about the future, totally age inappropriate conversations, etc.

By no means a men's rights activist attorney, but this was a good guy and both he and his son got trashed by the system.

That time the guy buried his ex wive on one of his golf courses so he could get a tax break for it now being a cemetery. Of course this was after he had her pushed down a flight of stairs causing her passing.

A work colleague divorced his wife. He got royally screwed and she got everything practically. A huge portion of his salary went to her and the kids. She almost immediately met someone else and they went on lavish holidays and spent big with his money. Not much he could do and kept everything civil for the sake of the kids. A little while later they announce they're going to marry and have planned many things thereafter. He offered to pay for the bells at the church to be played on the big day, which they loved.

During the weddings evening reception he was asked why he paid for that and explained now they're married, he no longer has to pay them any money. They didn't know this at all and quickly found out that evening! They'd committed on a mortgage, booked a massive honeymoon, overspent on the wedding etc, all with his money and they needed it to continue. He just walked away from them.

Such sweet revenge.

EDIT: he gave his children an allowance directly afterwards. They didn't go without, it's just now his ex-wife can't spend it on herself and the new husband.

My ex's cousin worked for a divorce lawyer and told us about one couple who got into a massive dispute over custody of their 2 young kids (4 and 6, if I recall).

The fight wasn't about who would get them, it was over who had to take them. Neither wanted custody.

Just made me feel sad for those kids.

Opposing counsel on one of my cases called my client “too emotional” during a hearing - after finally coming clean about years of domestic violence.

My stepdad's ex-wife sat his 3 kids down around the tree. She told them on Christmas Eve that they could go to their father's house for Christmas if they really wanted to but they would never see her again and she would miss them. Because their Dad was going to end their lives. They were 5, 7, 8 years old.

Of course this wasn't really going to happen to these kids - she was just an AWFUL woman. She had told him that she was going to make sure those children would never want to spend another holiday, weekend or minute with him. And she was right. They were petrified of him. He adored those kids and she did everything possible to ruin their relationship. She mentally hurt those children as teens, as adults. Evil incarnate.

My mom let my dad keep the house, and in the chaos of everything did not prioritize getting her name off the mortgage. My dad foreclosed on the house just to spite her and her credit score. This foreclosure was on her credit from when I was 13-20, and I never knew it - we still did all our activities (dance and cheer is not cheap), went on a vacation every year, and had a clean and safe house in a nice neighborhood. My mom budgeted like a BOSS and paid for everything on a debit card! Brand new furniture, $1,500 dance team fees, I even got a car when I turned 16. We thrifted almost all of our clothes and hardly ever went out to eat, but I never felt the stress that she undoubtedly felt and carried by herself for that time. My mom rules!

Couple divorced, woman got ~$100k as a lump sum. Fast forward to a year later, they're in mediation because she's got contempt motions against him for minor violations of the parenting agreement -- things like his being late to pick up the kids.

In mediation, she says she also wants child support because she's flat broke. I ask her what about the $100k. It all went to her team of divorce lawyers to fight over these contempt motions.

The whole time we were mediating, her three(!) lawyers were leaning over to her to say "You can't let (your ex) get away with this," and "(Your ex) is so disgusting." Winding her up and telling her the only way forward is to fight.

She could have had a soft landing, led a dignified life, and never seen the inside of the family court again. Her lawyers manipulated her into fighting over every little thing so they could convert her alimony into their alimony.

Not a lawyer. A neighbor asked her husband for a divorce (he drank and did substance to excess). He moved out. Before a property settlement was in place, he waited for her to leave the home one evening. He then went in and absolutely destroyed the house. Ripped every door off its hinges, including the kitchen cupboards and bathroom vanities.

Took every picture and mirror off the walls and smashed them. Took a knife to all the furniture. Pulled all the dishes from the cupboards and smashed them. Pissed and pooped on her bed. Dumped paint on the carpeting, and vinegar on the hardwood floors. Took an axe to the appliances, walls and ceilings. He then threw canned goods through all the windows. Another neighbor heard that and called the police.

They wouldn't do anything about it because he was still technically an owner even though he didn't live there. Her insurance wouldn't do anything for the same reason. Luckily she was able to get a permanent restraining order, and local contractors and community volunteers came to her rescue, and within two months her home was restored.

I’m not a lawyer, but I worked with a woman who divorced her husband because she wanted children and he didn’t. By all accounts their marriage was fine but neither of them would budge on the kid thing.

She didn’t ask for anything in their divorce except that he get a vasectomy. Essentially, she wanted a guarantee that if he refused to have children with her, he couldn’t have children with anyone. If he didn’t agree to it, she threatened to come after his 401k, sue for alimony, emotional distress, fraud, and all kinds of stuff. None of it would have stuck, but it was either he get a vasectomy or she would drag him through legal hell.

Edit: I’m aware vasectomies can be reversed, I just wanted to point out that her reaction to him potentially not having the procedure done was pretty nasty/evil.

Divorce counsel microwaved opposing party’s cat. Look it up. Happened in Maryland.

I was a legal assistant and a woman opted to give everything in return for her husband’s mother’s china, which was beloved to him and his family. It went on forever and eventually he relented.

On the day the divorce decree was signed, she showed up and she broke every piece, put it in a box and mailed it to him.

Not a lawyer, but worked for a bank many years ago. I had a client come in because there was no money in her account. Her future ex had taken everything out of all of their accounts. He remortgaged the house and drained their HELOC so that she had no access to any money. He cancelled her credit cards too. She had nothing. She was a stay at home mom and couldn’t buy food for her 2 and 8 year old. They were still living in the same house together, and he would bring food home for himself but nothing for anyone else.

Not a divorce but fits the theme. My mom died very young my dad remarried. He had 6 kids with his first wife. He was a moderately successful businessman, maybe upper middle class. My dad then died at 51, 3 yrs after he remarried. By law she was entitled to 30% of the estate (which was really a terrible law). But that wasn’t enough for her. So she sues and drags out settling the estate for 2 years because she wants to get more money from 6 orphans.

After two years she loses. And says give me 40% or I will appeal it for another 2 yrs and they settled with her to get rid of her.

Not a lawyer but I remember there was an article years ago where divorce lawyers talked about their worst cases. (Anonymously, obviously.) One that I still remember was a case where neither of the people wanted the children but they were fighting over the dogs.

Not that evil per se but entertaining?

She steamed off all the labels on the bottles in the wine cellar so there was no way to know if something was a $20 bottle or $2000. Man just about lost his mind.

Another girl smashed the guys Lego to smithereens. A whole room of assembled sets all mixed up.

A man divorced his wife because she was battling cancer and didn’t want to keep paying medical bills. Took the kids and made her pay him for child support as she was barely being able to survive. He lied to the kids and kept telling them horrible things about their mom and that she didn’t want to be around them basically saying she abandoned them.

Early in the marriage, parents adopted a child. Twelve years later during divorce proceedings, father filed petition the terminate his own custody and child support because his attorney found a defect in the final adoption order. Dad was able to dump his wife AND his kid.

EDIT: This was 20ish years ago in Virginia. I did not represent mom or dad. There was a procedural error in the adoption to such extent that the adoption was invalid - similar to a marriage void ab initio.

Dude who lived next door to me accepted a job on the opposite coast, moved his entire family, then resigned the new position as soon as they got there.

Then he turned around and found an apartment back in my town (which is how I know), moved back, and filed for divorce. When I asked him why he did that, he said that he didn't want them around and this was the cheapest way to get rid of them.