Fort Lee Adultery Divorce Lawyer
Finding out that your spouse has been unfaithful is a uniquely devastating and often infuriating experience, especially if you had been married for many years. Pursuing divorce specifically because of adultery can be a complex process, and one that should not be attempted without legal help.
If your partner’s infidelity has led to an irreconcilable breakdown of your marriage, seeking assistance from a Fort Lee adultery divorce lawyer is crucial to protecting your best interests and rights. Whether you want to get divorced specifically on fault-based grounds or follow the more common no-fault approach, a qualified divorce attorney can help you pursue an optimal outcome.
No-Fault Versus Adultery Divorce in Fort Lee
Like every other state, New Jersey courts now allow couples to pursue “no-fault” divorces. This means that the filing spouse is not required to explicitly hold the non-filing party at fault for causing the marriage to break down. Fault-based divorces are still an option, though, and may be based on a variety of grounds besides adultery that include:
- Desertion
- Imprisonment
- Institutionalization
- Deviant sexual conduct
- Extreme cruelty
While infidelity can certainly justify a fault-based divorce, pursuing this option is not always the ideal choice. Before a court will grant a fault-based divorce, the filing party must prove with relevant evidence that their spouse’s behavior was the direct cause of their relationship breaking down—a process that can be time-consuming, contentious, and expensive.
Conversely, a spouse may file for no-fault divorce without making any claim other than that their marriage has broken down, and they may do so with or without the other spouse consenting to the divorce. A Fort Lee adultery divorce attorney can further explain filing options and their respective advantages and disadvantages during a free confidential consultation.
Can Adultery Affect Alimony?
For the most part, one spouse’s infidelity will have no legal bearing on how a court will decide on divorce-related issues like child custody and distribution of marital property, even if the filing party pursues the divorce explicitly on the basis of their partner’s adultery. There is an exception, though, for situations where one spouse’s infidelity has concrete financial consequences for their spouse and/or their shared property.
If one spouse spent substantial funds that would have been considered divisible marital property on an adulterous relationship, a court may take that into consideration when dividing marital property. This could also play into what support obligations the adulterous spouse might owe to the spouse filing for divorce, or vice versa. As an adultery divorce lawyer in Fort Lee can explain, adultery does not automatically disqualify someone from receiving spousal support or receiving certain marital property.
Speak with a Fort Lee Adultery Divorce Attorney Today
Divorces following adultery tend to be especially contentious, which unfortunately can make them legally complicated as well. Getting through a divorce of this nature could be much easier with guidance from a divorce attorney who has handled similar cases effectively in the past.
A seasoned Fort Lee adultery divorce lawyer can help you defend your rights and secure the most favorable final divorce order possible. Schedule your free initial consultation to learn more.
