Financial Issues Involved in Divorcing a Narcissist

Financial Issues Involved in Divorcing a Narcissist

By: M. Scott Gordon

Filing for divorce when you are married to a narcissist can present a wide variety of problems. As an article in Forbes highlights, while the term “narcissist” often is used colloquially to describe a person who is selfish, arrogant, or self-centered, narcissism is actually a psychological disorder that comes with recognizable signs and behavior patterns. For example, many narcissists enter into marriages at a point in which the other spouse sees the narcissist as a charismatic and powerful individual. However, being married to a narcissist can be extremely difficult on many levels, and divorcing a narcissist can pose numerous issues.

While there are many emotional and psychological issues to consider when divorcing a narcissist, there are also financial matters that you should not forget about. We want to spend some time discussing the process of divorcing a narcissist and, in particular, the financial problems that individuals often face when filing for divorce from someone with narcissistic personality disorder.

Recognizing Narcissism in a Partner Before Your Divorce

If you are thinking about filing for divorce in the Chicago area, it is important to be prepared if you could be divorcing someone with narcissistic personality disorder. The Mayo Clinic explains that this disorder is one of several different kinds of personality disorders “in which people have an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for excessive attention and admiration, troubled relationships, and a lack of empathy for others.” The Mayo Clinic cites the following as signs and symptoms of narcissistic personality disorder:

• Exaggerated sense of self-importance;
• Sense of entitlement;
• Need for constant and/or excessive admiration;
• Expectation or being recognized as better than others without doing anything to warrant such recognition;
• Exaggerated sense of achievements and talents;
• Being preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, or beauty;
• Monopolizing conversation;
• Belittling or looking down on others;
• Expecting favors from others and taking advantage of others;
• Being unable or unwilling to recognize the needs and feelings of other people;
• Being envious of other people;
• Behaving in an arrogant manner; and/or
• Insisting on having the best of everything (such as a car or a job).

Financial Complications When Divorcing a Narcissist

In addition to the above traits, the Mayo Clinic also emphasizes that narcissists have significant difficult handling criticism and often react with rage, anger, or contempt when they are not treated in a manner in which they believe they should be treated. Given these facts, the Forbes article highlights how the following often are financial issues involved in divorcing a narcissist:

• Refusing to provide financial information, including necessary financial documents for the purposes of property division;
• Refusing to negotiate;
• Refusing to abide by court orders; and
• Using children as negotiating tools for property settlement purposes.

In other words, since narcissists often are extremely competitive and believe they are entitled to certain things, they may be completely unwilling to be reasonable with regard to any financial issues in a Chicago divorce.

Seek Advice from a Divorce Attorney in the Chicago area

Filing for divorce from a narcissist can be extremely difficult, but a divorce attorney in Chicago can help. Contact Gordon & Perlut, LLC for more information.