What is the name of your state? Washington
Forgive me for the length of this post. I have been divorced for 6 years. At no time during this time has my ex husband been able to let go of his anger toward me. Funny thing is, he is the one who wanted a divorce! During this time he has periodically trashed me and my reputation, made false statements pertaining to the quality with which I mother my children and has interferred with financial matters and medical matters in a way that kept my children from being able to get what they need. I will make a short list to give examples of some of the things that have been said by him about me.
1. A month after he left he went to our youngest child's school and told the principle and the child's teacher that I was a "woman who had a tendency to lose control" and to be "careful because they would more than likely have to call the police on me and if so he would be happy to testify that I was "crazy." At that time I was head of the school's art program and worked at the school part time. No damage was done because he was talking to people who were familiar with me and my character.
2. One of his support checks bounced. By the time I knew that it had bounced I was over-drawn at the bank. I notified him, he went into the bank and told the bank manager that the account I was using was his account and that I should be charged with fraud..."she is a crook and needs to go to jail." The account I was using was one we had before we got divorced and his name had been removed from it. The bank manager froze my account until an "investigation" could be done. I went 6 weeks without being able to draw from funds in that account and in the end the bank manager lost his job for not believing the written proof that I had given him. It was a huge mess!!
3. He has told his family that I was unfaithful during the marriage, that I beat him and verbally abused him and that I will not allow him to see his children. I have written proof that I have pleaded with him to visit his children more often and proof that his other allegations are false. His family chose to believe what he said and cut off my children. This caused my children great emotional harm. They have been in and out of counseling for over 4 years due to the actions of their father.
4. His latest involves my youngest son's school again. A new school in a new state and I am not well known at the school. He has not seen or talked to his children in 20 months. All of a sudden he decided she wants to be a part of their lives again. He contacted the boys and they told him to go see their therapist and they would be willing to work with him on the relationship. They are now 13 and 20. He went to the therapist, told the therapist that I beat my children, verbally abused them and refuse to allow them to see him. He then goes to the 13 year olds school and proceeds to tell them the same things plus several other unpleasant things. Personnel at the school are now a little cold and distant and my son was called into the counselor’s office to discuss the “situation at home.”
Over the years I have refused to become engaged in his antics. My thinking was that it would only ad fuel to the fire. When he starts something I focus on cleaning up the mess he leaves me with and getting on with my life. Due to the years of stress that comes with dealing with him and the damage he tries to cause I have become very ill. I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Adrenal Exhaustion and Peptic Ulcers. My 13 year old has once again been put on anti-depressants, is suffering from migraines and lives in fear that his father is going to show up at his school again. His grades are dropping in school and he is suffering panic attacks. He is, quite literally, scared to death to go to school. My expectations of my ex husband was that he would eventually get over his anger and become a more reasonable person to deal with. Evidence points to this not happening. He has caused grave damage to not only me, but his children also. In my mind his actions constitute slander and as a result of the slander I have suffered financially and physically and so have his children. Am I right in thinking I have cause for taking legal action against my ex husband?
Thank you!
Forgive me for the length of this post. I have been divorced for 6 years. At no time during this time has my ex husband been able to let go of his anger toward me. Funny thing is, he is the one who wanted a divorce! During this time he has periodically trashed me and my reputation, made false statements pertaining to the quality with which I mother my children and has interferred with financial matters and medical matters in a way that kept my children from being able to get what they need. I will make a short list to give examples of some of the things that have been said by him about me.
1. A month after he left he went to our youngest child's school and told the principle and the child's teacher that I was a "woman who had a tendency to lose control" and to be "careful because they would more than likely have to call the police on me and if so he would be happy to testify that I was "crazy." At that time I was head of the school's art program and worked at the school part time. No damage was done because he was talking to people who were familiar with me and my character.
2. One of his support checks bounced. By the time I knew that it had bounced I was over-drawn at the bank. I notified him, he went into the bank and told the bank manager that the account I was using was his account and that I should be charged with fraud..."she is a crook and needs to go to jail." The account I was using was one we had before we got divorced and his name had been removed from it. The bank manager froze my account until an "investigation" could be done. I went 6 weeks without being able to draw from funds in that account and in the end the bank manager lost his job for not believing the written proof that I had given him. It was a huge mess!!
3. He has told his family that I was unfaithful during the marriage, that I beat him and verbally abused him and that I will not allow him to see his children. I have written proof that I have pleaded with him to visit his children more often and proof that his other allegations are false. His family chose to believe what he said and cut off my children. This caused my children great emotional harm. They have been in and out of counseling for over 4 years due to the actions of their father.
4. His latest involves my youngest son's school again. A new school in a new state and I am not well known at the school. He has not seen or talked to his children in 20 months. All of a sudden he decided she wants to be a part of their lives again. He contacted the boys and they told him to go see their therapist and they would be willing to work with him on the relationship. They are now 13 and 20. He went to the therapist, told the therapist that I beat my children, verbally abused them and refuse to allow them to see him. He then goes to the 13 year olds school and proceeds to tell them the same things plus several other unpleasant things. Personnel at the school are now a little cold and distant and my son was called into the counselor’s office to discuss the “situation at home.”
Over the years I have refused to become engaged in his antics. My thinking was that it would only ad fuel to the fire. When he starts something I focus on cleaning up the mess he leaves me with and getting on with my life. Due to the years of stress that comes with dealing with him and the damage he tries to cause I have become very ill. I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Adrenal Exhaustion and Peptic Ulcers. My 13 year old has once again been put on anti-depressants, is suffering from migraines and lives in fear that his father is going to show up at his school again. His grades are dropping in school and he is suffering panic attacks. He is, quite literally, scared to death to go to school. My expectations of my ex husband was that he would eventually get over his anger and become a more reasonable person to deal with. Evidence points to this not happening. He has caused grave damage to not only me, but his children also. In my mind his actions constitute slander and as a result of the slander I have suffered financially and physically and so have his children. Am I right in thinking I have cause for taking legal action against my ex husband?
Thank you!
