A recent Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) presentation confirmed what many clients and attorneys have already experienced when a psychopathic spouse is involved in divorce proceedings. The psychopath’s charm and highly developed manipulative skills too often aid the psychopath in completely misleading the court about important issues like child custody.
The children often become pawns of the psychopath who sees the children as nothing more than the means to achieve the divorce results desired by the psychopath spouse. They may convince the court to give them fifty percent time sharing for financial reasons when they really don’t want the children at all. Psychopaths make very poor parents.
Similarly, in the mediation process, the psychopath may use bullying, harassing behavior to wear down the non-psychopathic spouse. The psychopath spouse will lie convincingly both in mediation and court proceedings. To the psychopath, both spouse and children exist only to make the psychopath look good. The psychopath spouse may engage in bullying and threatening behavior behind the scenes, but appear smooth and unflappable in court. Since psychopath spouses feel entitled to win and generally above the law, their disregard of court orders can pose many problems. Psychopaths have no sense of fairness. Hurting the other person is too often a game they enjoy.
If you or someone you know needs help with a divorce, please contact an experienced family law or divorce attorney.
