If you are contemplating divorce, you probably have some genuine reasons for wanting out of your marriage. Your spouse, though, might not share your concerns. Even worse, he or she might want to stay in the marriage to continue to make your life miserable.
You do not need your spouse’s permission to file for divorce, of course. Regrettably, however, a vindictive or stubborn spouse can cause your divorce to take longer than it should to conclude. Here are some ways your husband or wife can try to delay the inevitable.
Avoiding service of divorce paperwork
To divorce your spouse, you essentially must file a lawsuit. According to the Texas State Law Library, service of process is the formal process by which you notify your spouse about the litigation. Unfortunately, your spouse might hide from the process server or otherwise make it difficult for you to complete service on him or her.
Asking for court extensions
Fairness dictates that both spouses should have a reasonable opportunity to make their cases before a judge. If your husband or wife wants to delay your divorce, he or she can ask for extensions. Eventually, though, the judge in your case is likely to lose patience.
Refusing to negotiate
As you might suspect, you and your soon-to-be ex-spouse probably can negotiate and settle a number of divorce-related matters outside of the courtroom. Yet, if your spouse is unwilling to negotiate, you might have to argue about everything in open court. This can stretch out your divorce for months or even longer.
Ultimately, there is no reason to panic about your spouse’s possible stall tactics, as there are a number of ways to keep your divorce moving along.