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Texas police officer convicted of stalking ex-wife

On Behalf of | Sep 13, 2012 | Divorce |

Although many divorce cases create acrimonious feelings between ex-partners, fortunately, most do not descend to the level of one ex-Texas trooper’s obsession with his former spouse.

The former trooper was convicted of a stalking charge that carried a potential 10-year jail sentence. Instead, he was given probation. Evidence was presented that showed the disgruntled ex-spouse had set up a fake online dating profile with provocative content, prompting men to show up at his former wife’s home expecting to have sexual encounters. He also gave strangers her phone number, and she began receiving calls at work from hopeful male partners.

While there are laws in place to prevent harassment of one former partner by another, in many cases, the laws are inadequate to anticipate the problems that may arise, especially in the digital age. In some cases, exes must seek restraining orders or other legal remedies or, as in this case, actually file criminal charges against the offending spouse. Unfortunately, in some cases, the proof of this type of behavior is difficult to acquire.

While a divorce attorney cannot prevent every type of spousal misbehavior, a divorce agreement that is crafted by a professional who understands the realities of dealing with ex-spouses might help to prevent issues to bubble to the surface in the first place. An expert in divorce law can work to draft language in the agreement designed to prevent or handle these problems if they arise.

If you are considering a divorce, remember that you cannot predict how things will be between you and your former spouse in the years to come. However, a solid divorce agreement may lay the foundation for a way to deal with unforeseen issues.

Source: San Francisco Chronicle, “Ex-Texas trooper gets probation in stalking case,” Aug. 30, 2012

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