Litigation Abuse

Once someone separates from an abusive spouse or partner, the abuser may try to keep power and control by misusing the court system against the victim. For example, filing repeated petitions or motions, requesting many adjournments, appealing the judge’s orders without a legal basis to do so, serving inappropriate demands, or taking other actions that make the victim repeatedly come to court. Sometimes this type of behavior is called “litigation abuse.”

Litigation abuse often takes place in divorces or other complex court cases that allow discovery, which is the exchange of documents and information between the parties before trial. To read more about litigation abuse during the discovery process, go to What if the abuser is using discovery as an abuse tactic? in our Preparing for Court - By Yourself section.