The 7 Phases of Divorcing a Narcissist (What No One Warns You About)

🎧 Listen to this episode if… You're separating or divorcing someone with narcissistic traits Your ex keeps changing tactics and you feel like you're always one step behind You've experienced love-bombing, guilt, threats, or emotional manipulation Your ex is running smear campaigns or trying to control the narrative Money, disclosure, or property settlement keeps getting delayed Your children are being pulled into adult conflict Your ex is using the legal system as a weapon You feel like the abuse didn't end after separation You want to know what's coming next before it happens 📌 Legal Disclaimer This episode is for education only and not legal or psychological advice. Please seek your own independent legal support based on your circumstances. 📝 Episode Summary Divorcing a narcissist isn't just difficult it's predictable. In this episode, Mum and I walk you through the seven phases most people experience when separating from someone with narcissistic traits, based on what we see every single day in real cases. We talk about how tactics have evolved, why the mask eventually drops, and how emotional manipulation turns into smear campaigns, financial control, legal abuse, and ongoing chaos even after court ends. We're not diagnosing anyone, and this isn't about labelling. It's about pattern recognition. Once you understand the phases, you can stop blaming yourself, protect your boundaries, and make informed decisions instead of reacting in survival mode. 📌 This episode contains discussions around family violence. Support numbers are listed below. ⏱️ Episode Timeline 00:00 Divorcing a Narcissist – What to Expect & Why It's Different 01:50 Narcissistic Traits in Divorce and Separation 02:34 Phase One: Love Bombing, Guilt Tripping & Emotional Manipulation 03:50 How Narcissists Use Legal Delays and Manipulation 07:51 Phase Two: Control Tactics, Hoovering & Threats 11:57 Setting Boundaries When Divorcing a Narcissist 14:22 Phase Three: Smear Campaigns & Image Management Tactics 16:16 How to Protect Yourself Before Things Escalate 18:23 The Financial Motives Behind 50/50 Parenting Claims 18:36 Unethical Family Court Reports & Image Control 19:54 Social Media Smear Campaigns and Reputation Control 22:18 Financial Abuse Through Control and Delay Tactics 26:18 Using Children as Pawns in High-Conflict Divorce 28:47 Manipulating the Legal System After Separation 30:48 Post-Separation Abuse: Chaos and Control After Court 32:42 Final Support, Safety Planning & What to Do Next 🔗 Links & Resources Support Services (Australia) 1800 RESPECT – 1800 737 732 Lifeline – 13 11 14 Episodes Mentioned The Narcissist Playbook 10 Boundaries You Must Set in Divorce What About Their Belongings? Protecting Your Role as Primary Carer Legal & Financial Abuse After Separation What If Your Ex Lies in Court? Safety Planning After Separation DARVO in Divorce False allegations of Parental Alienation Resources "Before You Go" Checklist – thedivorcecourse.com.au 🚨 Support Services (Australia) 1800 RESPECT – 1800 737 732 Lifeline – 13 11 14 RSPCA Safe Beds for Pets (state dependent) 📌 Legal Disclaimer This episode is for education only and not legal advice. Please seek your own independent legal support based on your circumstances. 🎧 Don't forget to follow, rate & review! If this episode helped you, please share it — you never know who else needs to hear this before they get blindsided.

You can listen to The 7 Phases of Divorcing a Narcissist (What No One Warns You About) online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

The 7 Phases of Divorcing a Narcissist (What No One Warns You About) is an episode from The Divorce Course Podcast by Laura & Lyn.

This episode is 36:05 long.

This episode was published on Jan 6, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from The Divorce Course Podcast when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.