Parents who continuously squabble over every little thing are in and out of court even years after they are officially divorced. So, why does this happen? How does it happen? Do you have to have a divorce attorney every time? Before your own divorce saga unfolds, you should know how and why it could go on forever.

Kids and Money

As long as you share one or more children with your ex, post-divorce proceedings can keep going. The problem is that there are times when judges refuse to make permanent and binding decisions about who has custody and when. There are also times when a judge will tell a divorced couple that they need to work it out through mediation or the judge will not take another look at their case.

As long as one parent consistently pursues custody of the kids either to avoid paying the other parent money or to collect more money "for the kids," the cycle continues. In these cases, you should always have a lawyer with you because a heated vocal assault in court is not something you should start or get involved in. Your lawyer can speak for you in a manner that is calm and rational, which is exactly what you need.

Mental Health Problems and High-Conflict Personalities

This is not to stigmatize anyone with a mental health issue, but the fact remains that many people with chronic and serious mental health issues are frequently the ones who antagonize their former mates in court. High-conflict personalities are another sub-group that seem to enjoy going to court and will continuously file this or that to get another hearing and a rise out of their former spouses. You have to know and understand this if it applies to your ex, and do everything you can to not show emotion or feed into the situation.

That tends to get really difficult, because you are upset, angry and/or annoyed that your divorce does not seem to end. If you have a really good lawyer, your lawyer can present facts to the judge in a way that reveals what your ex is like and what he or she is doing. Then the judge may be better inclined to make final and clear rulings on things so that you do not have to keep coming back to court. Unfortunately, you cannot put a limit on what your ex can do or file a suit about, so you may come to court a few more times before he/she runs out of fuel against you.