No. Filing first does not affect custody decisions.
Possible legal benefits of filing first
One of the main legal advantages that a person gains by filing the divorce petition before his or her spouse does is that the filer can request a Standing Order from the court when filing the petition.
Wives are the ones who most often file for divorce at 66 percent on average. That figure has soared to nearly 75 percent in some years.
Usually, it seems as though the woman is the one who gets the better end of the deal. While many men are quick to say that their ex-wives took everything, including the dog—or that is what many country songs lead you to believe, anyway—the truth is that women often fare worse in a divorce.
It is no surprise, then, that marital infidelity is a leading cause of divorce. Just how common is marital infidelity? According to a study from the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, as many as 25 percent of married men and 15 percent of married women have had extramarital affairs.
The study found that on average unhappily married adults who divorced were no happier than unhappily married adults who stayed married when rated on any of 12 separate measures of psychological well-being. Divorce did not typically reduce symptoms of depression, raise self-esteem, or increase a sense of mastery.
A study led by the American Sociological Association determined that nearly 70% of divorces are initiated by women. And the percentage of college-educated American women who initiated divorce is even higher.
The Four Horsemen are four communication habits that increase the likelihood of divorce, according to research by psychologist and renowned marriage researcher John Gottman, Ph. D. Those four behaviors are criticism, defensiveness, stonewalling, and contempt.
Contempt erodes the bond that holds a couple securely together. It's impossible to build connection when your relationship is deprived of respect. The existence of contempt is the biggest predictor of divorce.
Many courts define it as a “high conflict divorce” where each party escalates the contention. The toxic divorce, as I define it, is when one party wants to dissolve the marriage in a more equitable way while the other person not only refuses to cooperate, but they create a consistent string of chaos and ill will.
But if you're in an unhealthy relationship, divorce can mean a fresh start. According to a 2013 study conducted by researchers at London's Kingston University, the majority of women were significantly happier than they'd ever been after divorce. The study surveyed 10,000 men and women over the course of two decades.
After all, almost 50% of first marriages, 60% of second marriages, and 73% of third marriages end in divorce. While there are countless divorce studies with conflicting statistics, the data points to two periods during a marriage when divorces are most common: years 1 – 2 and years 5 – 8.
A Fair Share of Assets
The longer you and your partner were married, the more likely it is that you have tons of intermingled marital assets that need to be separated and divided. If your marital assets include businesses, antiques, or real estate, ensure that you are getting a fair hand in the division.
Step 1: File the Divorce Petition
The divorce process starts with a divorce petition. Whether or not both parties agree to the divorce, one spouse—the petitioner—must file a legal petition asking the court to terminate the marriage.
The term gaslighting became popular in the 1960s. It is used to describe the manipulation of another person's perception of reality. Gaslighting is a common tool used by narcissistic and abusive spouses to control their partners. When done correctly, gaslighting can make a spouse doubt their own senses and memory.
A narcissistic husband is usually a very selfish person and will only think about themselves, and not about you or your relationship together. They might expect you to do all the housework, or they may want to have sex with you when they want it, but not when you want it.