Divorcing Your Spouse With Narcissistic Personality Disorder

A narcissist is someone who almost exclusively thinks of themselves. People with this personality disorder may feel a sense of entitlement or overexaggerate their talents or achievements. They may be obsessed about finding the perfect mate or becoming powerful.

There are strengths to being someone with this condition, but if you’re in a relationship with someone who has it, it has the potential to cause many hardships. In the case of a divorce, someone with narcissistic personality disorder is more likely to be fighting to win, not to settle. This person may try to manipulate the judge or you to maintain power in this situation. They could make false allegations and try to drag out the divorce to wear down the other party.

How can you divorce someone with narcissistic personality disorder more easily?

It’s sometimes easier to divorce someone with NPD if they think they’re the one with the idea. If they believe that they want to leave and want you out of the way, they’re more likely to settle with you and move on.

If you approach them with the request for a divorce, you should expect them to try to obstruct the divorce, refuse to negotiate and drag out the divorce to run up your bills.

To make this easier on yourself, you should:

• Let your attorney know about your spouse’s behaviors, especially if they do have a diagnosis
• Keep copies of all expenditures and statements, emails, text messages, social media posts and more (so you can more easily identify, and disprove, lies)
• Avoid buying into the drama that the other party wants to create. At this point, you should keep your cool and remember that they’re fighting a losing battle. No matter what they do, they won’t be able to stop the divorce from happening

If you have ongoing issues during your case, your attorney may be able to help you with items such as a restraining order or bringing a psychological expert on board. This divorce may be complex, but it is possible to get through this situation and move on with your life if you are persistent, consistent and patient.