Has your spouse been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder or BPD? Divorcing a spouse with Borderline Personality Disorder is likely going to be a bit of a bumpy process. Communications will have to be carefully planned and managed. Those with BPD have difficulty seeing things from anyone else’s perspective, especially an adversary. This means they are more likely to react aggressively, insult you, accuse you and even threaten you. The primary divorce communication strategy is not to mirror their response or react defensively as this will only intensify the interaction.
Divorcing a spouse with Borderline Personality Disorder requires strategic, surgical communications. Try to limit each conversation to a single topic, or to one item within a given subject. Many of our clients whose former spouses have BPD found it helpful to communicate in writing such as email or text. It is easier to keep conversations focused, and helps to remove expressions and emotion from the conversation. If you sense the conversation is heating up, take a break.
This is especially true if you begin to become angry or upset. You need to remember that every communication, especially those in writing, can and often will become evidence in a divorce case. The Judge in your case is observing each party closely, scrutinizing their words and actions to determine character and to evaluate important issues such as child custody and visitation and the capacity of each party to co-parent. The divorce and family law attorneys at Dodd & Dodd remind our clients to carefully manage all communications during a divorce. We often recommend avoiding social media altogether. Pictures are worth a thousand words and words “spoken” (read typed, left in a voicemail, texted or witnessed) can and will be used against the party who “spoke” them.
Divorcing a spouse with Borderline Personality Disorder in Louisville can become quite contentious. These cases require careful planning and strategy. The experience and legal skill of your attorney will make a substantial difference in the outcome of your case. This is why we invite you to review the strong recommendations of our former clients and contact us or call 502-584-1108 to schedule an appointment with one of our experienced divorce and family law attorneys.
Learn how to manage the process of your divorce with a BPD spouse and the strategies that will help to protect your interests and accomplish your objectives.
