Harassment from Ex

[phlox]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Georgia

My ex husband is constantly threatening to sue me for bogus things. He has been sending mean and disturbing text to me for the past two days now after us not talking for months since the divorce. He says that I sent him a fake Facebook request so he claims he went to a lawyer to sue me for fraud by deception. I am of course not worried about that because I know its a lie and completely stupid. The problem is that he is always threatening to take me to court for really stupid things like infidelity during our marriage which never even happened. He says things like this because he wants to cause emotional distress and I'm sick of dealing with it. I've become his verbal punching bag. Is there anything I can do? I have changed my phone number 4 times in the past 6 months to try to keep him from calling or texting me but he always gets it from someone else somehow. I moved to a different county to get away from him and he has yet to find out my address but he's constantly calling my family pretending to be other people to try to get it. What should I do?

 

[Ohiogal]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Georgia

My ex husband is constantly threatening to sue me for bogus things. He has been sending mean and disturbing text to me for the past two days now after us not talking for months since the divorce. He says that I sent him a fake Facebook request so he claims he went to a lawyer to sue me for fraud by deception. I am of course not worried about that because I know its a lie and completely stupid. The problem is that he is always threatening to take me to court for really stupid things like infidelity during our marriage which never even happened. He says things like this because he wants to cause emotional distress and I'm sick of dealing with it. I've become his verbal punching bag. Is there anything I can do? I have changed my phone number 4 times in the past 6 months to try to keep him from calling or texting me but he always gets it from someone else somehow. I moved to a different county to get away from him and he has yet to find out my address but he's constantly calling my family pretending to be other people to try to get it. What should I do?

Ignore him. Unless you have children IGNORE HIM. Or you can file a harrassment complaint with the local police department. They will call him and tell him to not contact you anymore. That might work.

 

[Zigner]

Even if she has children with him, she can ignore these particular texts. I would suggest saving the texts though. No telling when they might come in handy down the road.

 

[single317dad]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Georgia

My ex husband is constantly threatening to sue me for bogus things. He has been sending mean and disturbing text to me for the past two days now after us not talking for months since the divorce. He says that I sent him a fake Facebook request so he claims he went to a lawyer to sue me for fraud by deception. I am of course not worried about that because I know its a lie and completely stupid. The problem is that he is always threatening to take me to court for really stupid things like infidelity during our marriage which never even happened. He says things like this because he wants to cause emotional distress and I'm sick of dealing with it. I've become his verbal punching bag. Is there anything I can do? I have changed my phone number 4 times in the past 6 months to try to keep him from calling or texting me but he always gets it from someone else somehow. I moved to a different county to get away from him and he has yet to find out my address but he's constantly calling my family pretending to be other people to try to get it. What should I do?

In addition to OG's excellent advice to ignore the ex, I would expand by adding this:

- Stop giving your number to whomever is giving it to him. I went through a similar scenario, and once I set my mind to figuring out who it was, it didn't take long to get it stopped. Cease communication with anyone who continues to try to put him back in contact with you, or anyone who tries to deliver a message from him.
- If he is your ex-husband, your divorce and your relationship is concluded. As long as you have no more legal obligation to this person, you should stop communicating with him entirely. Completely. Forever.
- If he is truly harassing or threatening you, go to the courthouse and file for a protective order. Here is some useful information from one county in Georgia. You should look for information more specific to your area (for example, the assisting agency on that page may not be available in your area), but the general procedure should be the same anywhere.

http://www.henrycountysheriff.net/FieldOperationsDivision/CivilUnit/TemporaryProtectionOrderTPO/tabid/240/Default.aspx

 

[commentator]

No one can make you his "emotional punching bag" unless you allow it. My suspicion is that you are still communicating regularly with your ex in some way, taking his calls, responding to his messages, texting him back, etc. You are still re-fighting this stuff because it is a habit. He's in the habit of threatening you and verbally abusing you, and you're in the habit of letting him talk to you because you do not want the horrid scene and hassles you fear he will create if you don't respond and try to pacify him.

I very strongly suggest you get into some sort of counseling for your own issues, and let your counselor guide you toward independence from this bad relationship that hasn't died simply because you have that divorce in place.

But nobody keeps up with this sort of harassment/stalking/threatening/aggravation very long if they're not getting some reinforcement for it. Are you letting him in when he comes to your door, Are you still accepting money from him, letting him buy things for the kids, still having occasional sex with him, etc. simply because it's so awful to try to break free and so much less trouble to go along with him?

If you're not still involved, then he shouldn't really be causing you any emotional distress, because you're ignoring him. Have the police talk to him and I really suspect he'll vanish.