Partner
Having an affair can do irreparable damage to a marriage. For many divorcing spouses, the consequences don’t end there. LaFountain & Wollman P.C.can tell you what you need to know.
The effects of adultery on divorce outcomes.
Some states use evidence of adultery as a reason to bar a spouse from receiving alimony. It can even be used as a means to require one spouse to pay the other alimony. Massachusetts takes a different approach. Alimony is intended to help a spouse who needs financial support receive it from a spouse who can pay such support. For that reason, adultery alone is not used as a reason to deny or require the payment of alimony.
However, adultery can affect alimony in other ways. In some cases of infidelity, a cheating spouse will use marital funds or property to support his or her affair. Wasting joint marital assets in this manner can affect alimony because the court is allowed to consider, among other factors, the conduct of the parties during the marriage. Therefore, if either you have committed adultery or you have evidence that your spouse has, it’s important to speak with a knowledgeable attorney.
The effects of adultery on child support
Extramarital affairs don’t have a direct effect on child support. That’s because child support is meant to help the custodial parent make ends meet for the child’s financial welfare.
Having Knowledgeable Legal Counsel is Critical to Your Divorce Case
Because of the various ways that adultery can impact a spouse’s or parent’s finances, it is imperative that you retain legal representation if adultery is an issue in your divorce. Whether you are accused of having an affair or you believe the other spouse has done so, talk to an experienced attorney about it. Your lawyer will work to obtain the evidence needed to either support your arguments or refute the ones made by the other spouse. It may also be possible to settle the divorce outside of court during mediation. If you have questions about adultery and how it may affect your divorce, reach out to LaFountain & Wollman P.C. today.