Those who are selected to represent the citizens in government are expected to live by a certain standard. While there is no shortage of marital strife and divorce in the high-pressure world of politics, difficulties related to post-divorce modifications are not frequently discussed. However, these issues do come up — even here in New York — and they require time and attention to be resolved appropriately.
Recently, former governor and current congressman Mark Sanford has publicly commented on the difficulties he has experienced with his former wife. The two obtained a divorce a few years ago after the former governor was found to have been involved in an extra-marital affair. Now, he has posted on his social media account that he has called off his engagement due to the pressure and stress created by repeated demands made by his former spouse.
In his version of the issues, he has claimed to have not fought with his former wife while working on the original divorce settlement. He has stated that he did not request custody of their sons and made every effort to meet her financial requests. He has further stated that he could not seek to enter into another marriage in the midst of the strife and constant threats of lawsuits allegedly made by his former spouse.
The congressman has further remarked that he felt compelled to make his comments publicly in order to counter-act the humiliation he believes he has suffered from the repeated requests for the post-divorce modifications, including his ex-wife’s desire for him to be evaluated for his mental well-being. There has been no response from Mrs. Sanford relating to the issues that her ex-husband has aired on Facebook. The majority of New York families will most likely not air their grievances in such a public way. However, when there are issues that arise that require modifications to a divorce or related agreements, each party may benefit from the guidance and information that can be provided by knowledgeable and experienced resources.
Source: thestate.com, “Rep. Mark Sanford blames divorce battle for ending his engagement”, Andrew Shain, Sept. 12, 2014
