There are a variety of tricks spouses can use in a divorce case to gain the upper hand, and one of these tricks is referred to as conflicting out. This practice is a sneaky type of move made by one spouse in an attempt to gain more control of the situation. If you are about to head into a divorce, it is important to know what this is and how your spouse might use it against you.
It Involves a Consultation Visit With a Lawyer They Do Not Ultimately Hire
When a spouse uses this technique in a divorce, it begins by this spouse looking for the best lawyers around. The spouse then visits one of them for a consultation visit but does not hire this lawyer. The spouse may then visit another lawyer for a consultation, but they will not hire this one either. This may occur with multiple lawyers, or just one. It depends on how vindictive the spouse is trying to be in the divorce case.
The Purpose of This Consultation Visit
You might be wondering why and how this would affect the divorce, and this is why it is important to understand what conflicting out means. When one spouse talks to a lawyer about his or her case, the lawyer cannot legally accept a case from the other spouse due to conflict of interest. This lawyer would already have some information about the divorce case and therefore could not represent the other party in this matter.
The main reason a spouse would aim to do this is to prevent his or her spouse from hiring the best lawyers around. If this spouse meets with all the top lawyers in the area, he or she will limit what attorneys the other spouse can hire. This is a highly manipulative tactic to use, but it is something that happens in many divorce cases.
How to Avoid Letting This Happen to You
The best way to avoid letting this happen to you is by choosing and hiring a lawyer right away. If you are not sure who to hire, you can visit several different ones before making your selection. If you suspect your partner would do this type of trick, you should make sure you hire a lawyer quickly before you run out of options.
You can learn more about conflicting out or about your divorce case by talking to a divorce attorney.
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