For some parents in Texas, the battle doesn’t end after they get divorced. Your former spouse might harass you, badmouth you, stalk you online or try to turn your child against you. How can you get their behavior under control without risking your safety?
How to deal with harassment during or after your divorce
If you have a child together, you’ll inevitably have to stay in contact with your former spouse after your divorce. However, if you know that your former spouse is going to harass you, you can limit communication as much as possible. Some parents do all their communication through a third-party app that leaves a paper trail if you need to show your communications to a judge. If you have to give your former spouse your contact information, try to limit it to your phone number or email address so they can’t harass you on multiple platforms.
If the harassment gets excessive, you might have to talk to a divorce attorney about filing a civil injunction. A civil injunction could prevent your former spouse from harassing you, badmouthing you or showing up at your house without warning. However, a civil injunction is more of a warning than a threat–your former spouse probably won’t be arrested if they break the terms of the injunction. You might want to file for a personal protection order if you’re actually afraid for your safety.
Where can you turn for help after your divorce?
For some people, the drama ends after they get divorced. Others have to deal with rude, argumentative spouses until their children turn eighteen. If your former spouse is harassing you, you might want to talk to an attorney about your options. You might be able to take legal action to prevent them from intruding on your life.