How Far Would You Go To Get Even?

Whether it's infidelity or a midlife crisis, all divorces have a petitioner and a respondent. Sometimes it amicable, but most of the time somebody gets hurt. It's only normal to want to return the favor, but revenge frequently gets out of hand.

Actress Teri Garr (known for her roles in Tootsie, and Young Frankenstein) once took a hammer to a boyfriends windows when she found out he was cheating on her. Another woman put a marble in the door panel of her ex-husband's Audi.  It took the shop a month to find the source of the rattle. When they did find it, that wasn't all they discovered: There was also a note.  It read: "You finally found it, you f****r."

Women aren't the only ones looking to get even.  While one New York man blew up the condo his estranged wife won in the divorce settlement, another British man hung a sign over the highway telling his wife he wanted a divorce.  Women just seem to have a special knack for getting even.

Raoul Felder, a New York City divorce lawyer, says that most people settle for lengthy litigation as a way to get even. "If one person has more money than the other, then pressing claims to the utmost is a form of revenge. It doesn't have to do with the merits of the case itself. If the difference between you and your spouse is only $5,000 or $10,000 but you're willing to spend $50,000 in legal fees in order to get that difference in money. That's a common form of revenge," Mr. Felder does say that he's seen his share of shredded wardrobes and microwaved pets though.

Feelings of revenge are normal, we all have them, but it's important to let them go quickly.  Otherwise they fester, and you begin viewing movies like War of the Roses as a training video. Mr. Felder is right when he reminds his clients that if they must act: keep it legal.

Source: www.cnn.com/