Divorces can often become very complicated. It’s surprising how some people can turn from loving partners to bitter rivals. Many individuals can be quite petty, even bringing small issues to court. Lawyers have shared their experiences online about some of the most trivial disputes that they have seen in family courts. Some of these cases are unusual, while others are simply shocking. Here are some of the most surprising cases that have been shared.
One lawyer mentioned a client who called with what he claimed was an emergency. The “emergency” was that his soon-to-be ex-wife had served their child Chef Boyardee for dinner.
In another case, a man tried to withdraw sponsorship for his ex-wife’s citizenship. He hoped this would lead to her being forced out of the country so he could gain full custody of their infant son.
There was also a filing for an emergency order to prevent a father from taking his child to Disneyland for vacation. The argument was that if the mother wasn’t happy, then nobody should be happy.
In one instance, an interim court order told a mother not to discuss court matters with her child. During a visit, the child asked when they would see each other again, and the mother replied they would find out soon. The father then claimed she was discussing court matters and tried to use this to restrict her access.
An intern recalled a couple arguing over who should keep a designer hoodie. Their entire focus was on that hoodie. Eventually, the husband kept it, and the wife made holes in it, ruining it.
Another intern shared an experience of reviewing documents for a custody case. One piece of evidence included a report tracking the mother’s tardiness. It noted that she was late by a total of 33 minutes over six months during exchanges of their son, which happened three times a week. The client wanted to present this data to show the mother was irresponsible.
A family law assistant mentioned a client who insisted on reclaiming a piece of pork from the freezer as part of her assets. The opposing lawyer responded that they would not argue over meat.
In a different case, an ex-husband delayed paying his ex-wife what he owed her, dragging out the process with appeals. This not only affected her but also their children. As a result of the delay, the mother lost her job and had to move back with her parents. Once he finally paid, she was able to buy a house outright.
Another lawyer described a situation where they spent a significant amount arguing about child support, trying to decide between two different monthly amounts. The parents shared custody of their 13-year-old child. After doing the math, it was clear that the legal fees cost more than the difference in child support payments.
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Source: Bored Panda, by Gabija Palšytė