Harassment And Protective Orders During Divorce Cases
While long-divorced people may consider their failed marriages as learning experiences, and while you might feel a huge sense of relief as soon as your divorce becomes final, almost everyone who has been divorced counts the divorce process among life’s most stressful experiences. Perhaps there is no such thing as a beautiful divorce, but the ugliest divorces often involve the courts ordering one spouse to stop bothering the other, or ordering people other than the divorcing spouses not to contact one or the other party in the divorce case. When you hear the phrases “protective order” or “restraining order,” you probably associate them with domestic violence, but the courts can also issue protective orders instructing one person not to contact another even if the issue is verbal harassment or threats instead of physical violence. If things have gotten so bad that the court has ordered your ex-spouse not to contact you directly, it is time to contact a Boca Raton divorce lawyer.
No One Can Stop You From Blaming Your Ex’s New Partner for Your Divorce, but Harassment Is Unacceptable
It is only natural to be angry when, in the midst of your separation and divorce, your spouse starts dating someone new. When you see former spouses who get along well with their ex-spouses’ new partners, the harmonious relationship is years in the making. Divorce court decisions frequently state that being angry about the divorce or being angry at your ex and your ex’s new partner does not count against you; angry ex-spouses do not get any less of the marital property or any less parenting time than cheerful ex-spouses, but it can only make you look bad in the eyes of the court if you openly antagonize your ex’s new partner. If the harassment gets bad enough, the court might even order you to stay away from your ex, your ex’s new partner, or even your children. This can only count against you in disputes over parenting time, although the court is unlikely to deny you unsupervised parenting time unless your ex can prove that your children are unsafe when they are alone with you.
Consider the recent news story about the divorce between South Florida plastic surgeon Dr. Lenny Hochstein and his wife Lisa, a cast member on The Real Housewives of Miami. Lenny and Lisa separated earlier this year, and soon after Lenny filed for divorce, he began dating Katharina Mazepa. Mazepa alleges that Lisa cyberbullied her by using fake Instagram accounts and made at least one threatening phone call to her. The court issued a protective order, according to which Lisa is not allowed to contact Mazepa in person, online, or by phone. This is unlikely to make the courts sympathetic to Lisa in her divorce case.
Contact Schwartz | White About Contentious Divorce Cases
A South Florida family law attorney can help you if things have gotten so bad between you and your estranged spouse that you can no longer talk to each other. Contact Schwartz | White in Boca Raton, Florida about your case.
Sources:
heavy.com/entertainment/real-housewives/lisa-hochstein-stalking-accusations-court-documents/
heavy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/mazepa-hochstein-3.pdf
realitytea.com/2022/08/09/lisa-hochstein-lenny-girlfriend-ridiculous/
