According to the Social Readjustment Rating Scale, divorce is the second most stressful life event, right after the death of a spouse. It can turn a person’s entire world upside down, and when one partner decides to make the process as difficult as possible, things can get even worse.
That is why it can feel so satisfying when their behavior finally catches up with them. One Redditor asked divorce lawyers to share stories of people who tried to use the system against their ex, only to have their tactics backfire. We gathered some of the most memorable examples below. Scroll down to read them for yourself.
#41
One of my friends is a lawyer and he told me about a particular case where the woman was having an affair after only 1 year of marriage (total 4 year relationship) and they had 1 kid together. The husband was heartbroken and depressed because apparently the woman threaten to not let him see his kid anymore and wanted full custody and make him pay ton of money. Little did she know that after the husband found out she was cheating he started recording (secretly) all their interactions which included one particular video of her discussing how to financially ruin him with her lover in their own house when he wasn't home. One of the tactics was accusing him for a***e.
This man was cunning af tho, they went to divorce court and he let her spread all the lies and make false accusations.
Then he and my friend dropped the evidence b**b and my friend told me he rarely seen a Judge so furious that she was barely controlling her rage. Needless to say the cheating wife got smoked and ended up losing custody and had to pay the husband alimony, he got the house too. I'm not sure but I believe the wife even got into trouble with the justice department for false accusations but I don't know what happened with that though.
This man was cunning af tho, they went to divorce court and he let her spread all the lies and make false accusations.
Then he and my friend dropped the evidence b**b and my friend told me he rarely seen a Judge so furious that she was barely controlling her rage. Needless to say the cheating wife got smoked and ended up losing custody and had to pay the husband alimony, he got the house too. I'm not sure but I believe the wife even got into trouble with the justice department for false accusations but I don't know what happened with that though.
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15points
#42
Cousin got divorced. She wasn't a good person. She married a guy. Guy was older and got sick. She pulls him of life support due to cost. She was days short of the required amount of time being married so she didn't get his pension.
Customer of mine has updated me on his divorce. Some of the highlights. Been 4 years.
Still no progress. He just keeps fighting. Dragging it out. Judge evicted him from his own house. Probably for not selling or buying out spouse. Judge gave him community service hours. Never heard of a divorce court doing this. My guess is he didn't listen to Judge and got contempt charge. The latest is he fired attorney.
Customer of mine has updated me on his divorce. Some of the highlights. Been 4 years.
Still no progress. He just keeps fighting. Dragging it out. Judge evicted him from his own house. Probably for not selling or buying out spouse. Judge gave him community service hours. Never heard of a divorce court doing this. My guess is he didn't listen to Judge and got contempt charge. The latest is he fired attorney.
14points
#43
Not a lawyer but I married one. We bought a house together. She put up most of the down payment and insisted the title was 60% hers and 40% mine. When we divorced, the house was underwater by about $50,000. The judge said she should pay $30,000 and I had to pay only $20,000.
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14points
#44
My ex and her family heard through the grapevine that I had come into a large inheritance, we are talking millions plus rights to patents that would provide ongoing income.
The reality is that I had been the executor of an Estate of an elderly friend that actually had been a multimillionaire but gave his fortune away to charity. So, I get dragged into Family Court by my ex and her parents so that my ex can get her piece of the pie.
No, it was not 'for the children' as my ex in-laws are quite wealthy in their own right and my ex and the kids were living together with the grandparents. These also paying for all daily expenses, as well as the legal bills for my ex (this was demonstrated during the divorce trial).
The judge hears testimony and accepts evidence over two court dates. I provide extensive records and evidence. Also, I just happened to have lost my job in finance in the 2008 US economic downturn, that was in evidence as well. The judge said that his ruling would be received by the parties involved and their attorneys.
Two weeks later I got the judgement, no additional funds would be awarded to my ex for child support.
Additionally as I was now unemployed for over 6 months and it did not seem that a job that I was qualified for in the near future that my child support would be reduced to the minimum as required by law $25.00 monthly.
I would have given my right arm to be a fly on the wall when my ex and her parents read the decision of the court.
The reality is that I had been the executor of an Estate of an elderly friend that actually had been a multimillionaire but gave his fortune away to charity. So, I get dragged into Family Court by my ex and her parents so that my ex can get her piece of the pie.
No, it was not 'for the children' as my ex in-laws are quite wealthy in their own right and my ex and the kids were living together with the grandparents. These also paying for all daily expenses, as well as the legal bills for my ex (this was demonstrated during the divorce trial).
The judge hears testimony and accepts evidence over two court dates. I provide extensive records and evidence. Also, I just happened to have lost my job in finance in the 2008 US economic downturn, that was in evidence as well. The judge said that his ruling would be received by the parties involved and their attorneys.
Two weeks later I got the judgement, no additional funds would be awarded to my ex for child support.
Additionally as I was now unemployed for over 6 months and it did not seem that a job that I was qualified for in the near future that my child support would be reduced to the minimum as required by law $25.00 monthly.
I would have given my right arm to be a fly on the wall when my ex and her parents read the decision of the court.
14points
#45
Back when I was in law school, one of my profs had this client who was divorcing a piece of s**t. What her ex didn’t know is that she knew he committed financial fraud. And that she knew about his partner in fraud/bussiness partner who was helping him.
The ex basically hid his money in anticipation of divorce and other shady dealings and courts don’t like that. So they gave her all money he hid. He didn’t go to jail though, but it was a real possibility
And according to my prof she married a very handsome man afterwards.
Edit: I feel like I should mention that she would have gotten a lot less money had her ex been honest.
The ex basically hid his money in anticipation of divorce and other shady dealings and courts don’t like that. So they gave her all money he hid. He didn’t go to jail though, but it was a real possibility
And according to my prof she married a very handsome man afterwards.
Edit: I feel like I should mention that she would have gotten a lot less money had her ex been honest.
13points
#46
Sov Cit finally getting jailed for contempt after three years and 12 billion warnings/chances by an overly patient judge.
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13points
#47
My ex was sure that moms always get the schools and held out for school control, refused to compromise on a school in the middle between us. That's why we couldn't mediate. She took us to court on it assuming she'd win.
The judge understood perfectly and I control the schools now.
The judge understood perfectly and I control the schools now.
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12points
#48
This happened to a friend of mine. When he was 13 his mother wanted to divorce his dad. His dad ran a company and had already been positioning a semi-retirement.
Dad has a serious conversation with the mom and decides he will walk away from their house, sign it over to her, savings account that are theirs, now hers. Retirement plan that he had along with investments, things they would have cashed out in their older years, all to her. She agreed and their lawyer met with them, signed everything and came back and announced it to their kids (my friend and his sis). Officially divorced. Everything in writing solid and legal.
Dad took his cars (2), personal items and his company. Got an apartment near it to start. My friend and his sis lived with mom most of the time, saw dad weekly and he always paid for everything.
By the time my friend was 23 his mom was hurting financially with a reverse mortgage being her means to live and dad had rebuilt it all for himself.
**The mom then tried to file for divorce to get half his assets claiming the previous divorce was not real.** It was a crazy time for my friend as he and his sister realized their mom had this terrible side. His grandparents (mom's parents) his sister and himself had to have a few interventions with her to stop her bs as she was willing to go all the way with it. I believe in the discovery/ similar thing the case got tossed because there was paper work and everything done legally. Changed how they viewed both parents and my friend and his sister are much closer to the dad.
Dad has a serious conversation with the mom and decides he will walk away from their house, sign it over to her, savings account that are theirs, now hers. Retirement plan that he had along with investments, things they would have cashed out in their older years, all to her. She agreed and their lawyer met with them, signed everything and came back and announced it to their kids (my friend and his sis). Officially divorced. Everything in writing solid and legal.
Dad took his cars (2), personal items and his company. Got an apartment near it to start. My friend and his sis lived with mom most of the time, saw dad weekly and he always paid for everything.
By the time my friend was 23 his mom was hurting financially with a reverse mortgage being her means to live and dad had rebuilt it all for himself.
**The mom then tried to file for divorce to get half his assets claiming the previous divorce was not real.** It was a crazy time for my friend as he and his sister realized their mom had this terrible side. His grandparents (mom's parents) his sister and himself had to have a few interventions with her to stop her bs as she was willing to go all the way with it. I believe in the discovery/ similar thing the case got tossed because there was paper work and everything done legally. Changed how they viewed both parents and my friend and his sister are much closer to the dad.
11points
#49
My dad was a real POS, not just to my mom and my siblings and I, but his attorneys through the divorce as well. Yes, plural. The first one dropped him. The second one…ok so day of court, she leaves the court room and she’s gone so long that the judge sends the bailiff to see where she went and bring her back. My mom tells us when she gets home how bad the court room smelled. Didn’t think much of it though.
Anyway, few weeks later mom and dad have to meet to exchange keys or some final docs, dad tells my mom his attorney was so nervous about if he’d behave in court that she s**t her pants. That’s why she was gone for so long, trying to clean herself up, and that’s why it smelled in court. My dad thought the whole thing was funny. Real winner that one.
She’s been free of him almost 15 years now and with a great guy.
Anyway, few weeks later mom and dad have to meet to exchange keys or some final docs, dad tells my mom his attorney was so nervous about if he’d behave in court that she s**t her pants. That’s why she was gone for so long, trying to clean herself up, and that’s why it smelled in court. My dad thought the whole thing was funny. Real winner that one.
She’s been free of him almost 15 years now and with a great guy.
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11points
#50
Met a very rich high powered lawyer in NYC because my friend knew someone who supplied his hobby garage (he rented a whole commercial space just for his hobby of building cars from scratch)
Apparently he had a nasty divorce from his ex wife. She personally and literally drags his name through the tabloids and gets articles in the ny post about how he bought his new playboy fiancée an engagement ring worth over $100k, but allegedly won’t pay for his daughter’s medical expenses.
He files in court that these tabloid articles damaged his career and earning potential, so the judge slashes the ex-wife’s divorce settlement based on the damages he allegedly incurred.
Apparently he had a nasty divorce from his ex wife. She personally and literally drags his name through the tabloids and gets articles in the ny post about how he bought his new playboy fiancée an engagement ring worth over $100k, but allegedly won’t pay for his daughter’s medical expenses.
He files in court that these tabloid articles damaged his career and earning potential, so the judge slashes the ex-wife’s divorce settlement based on the damages he allegedly incurred.
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10points
#52
Worked as a clerk at an office. We had one go on for a couple extra weeks over a signed Rodney Dangerfield photo. Bossman had also married a former client but never got the balls up to ask for that story.
7points
#53
I am not sure if he deserved this but let me tell you a story. Last August my area flooded. We got a couple inches in our basement but we are renters so it wasn't that bad. Was going over my prenuptial with my lawyer, it was pretty simple because all we have is debt but I wanted to get the most out of my money so I mentioned our basement. She told me the week before her client had won the house in the divorce...and then the basement flooded. His plan was to sell it and pay his legal bills so it was a mess.
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6points
#54
Judge ordered hair follicle d**g testing of the opposing party after a temporary custody hearing within 72 hours. Somehow the man was diagnosed with cancer and started chemo within those 72 hours, which caused every single testable hair on his entire body to fall out. As to be expected, the judge didn't love it and he didn't even get joint legal custody.
Two years later... Different case, new couple. The opposing party wife had an affair with the aforementioned hairless deadbeat dad (our PI really did some great cinematography when capturing all the s*x in parking lots they were having on their lunch breaks). He was still hairless two years later because he legitimately had been diagnosed with cancer...and he died months later. I wouldn't call it satisfying because he had young children, but it is some real karma.
Two years later... Different case, new couple. The opposing party wife had an affair with the aforementioned hairless deadbeat dad (our PI really did some great cinematography when capturing all the s*x in parking lots they were having on their lunch breaks). He was still hairless two years later because he legitimately had been diagnosed with cancer...and he died months later. I wouldn't call it satisfying because he had young children, but it is some real karma.
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5points
