Walking away from a marriage can be challenging because you might face some pushback from the other party. This is common when they don’t want the divorce to happen, but there are instances in which your ex might wage a battle because they are a narcissist who feels they are losing control over you and the situation. This can be
emotionally draining and add more difficulty to the legal process.
Ending a relationship with a narcissist isn’t as easy as just walking away. They aren’t capable of seeing that they did anything to contribute to the end of the marriage. They aren’t going to attempt to compromise, so you probably won’t be able use mediation or other collaborative methods for property division and child custody unless you’re willing to give them everything they want.
It’s likely that the narcissist will want things that are unhealthy or unrealistic. They are going to try to bully you until they get their way. One of the most effective ways you can combat this is to simply not engage with them during the legal process. Allow your attorney to handle the interactions so that your ex can’t see how their statements impact you.
Be prepared for your ex to drag you through a trial. Even though you expect it, they will view this as a way to control the situation. They’ll likely think that they are harming you and controlling your finances since you’ll have to pay for the legal representation even though you know to expect it and can plan for it. Unfortunately, the only way that you might avoid this is if your ex believes the divorce and all offers for the settlement are their own idea.