When two people are ending their marriage, they can be very focused on protecting their privacy. You may not want let people in on what is typically a very difficult and emotionally charged event. You may even try to shield family members and/or kids from the messy details of why you are divorcing and what the terms of your settlement are.
However, not everyone sees it this way. In some cases, people are not only fine with making the details of a divorce public, they actually welcome it. For example, one former couple is quite literally putting their contentious split on display: the estranged husband has been living on the front lawn of the home he and his wife once shared.
According to reports, the 69-year-old man has been living outside his house since March when his wife kicked him out. The divorcing couple evidently has a history of altercations, including allegations of abuse and theft, and police have been called to the house several times in recent years. After the most recent fight, however, the wife kicked the man out.
Instead of finding a place to stay or working through the divorce process to properly divide up assets including the house, the man has been living on the lawn while his wife lives in the house. She changed the locks and put up a sign notifying concerned parties that they should not bring anything including food onto the property for the man.
Regardless of the difficult marital issues the couple is dealing with, they may not be doing themselves any favors by dealing with their relationship in this way.
It may be common for people to feel like punishing or embarrassing their ex will ease some of the painful emotions associated with a divorce. However, in the end, it may do little more than drag out the already difficult process and drain valuable energy.
Of course divorce can be overwhelming and come with some very complex emotions; but focusing on the drama and publicizing sensitive details of the split can ultimately work against you. By working with an attorney and concentrating your efforts on getting through a divorce, you may find that you are happier in the long run.
Source: USA Today, “Bitter divorce leaves man stranded in front yard of his million-dollar home,” Kevin Reece, Oct. 7, 2015
