After you decide to get a divorce, you might want to jump back into the dating pool. You and your spouse are over, and you both agreed that it’s time to move on. Is that really a good idea, though, when it comes to the law and how your dating could be perceived?
There are a few reasons dating isn’t a good idea. First, it could negatively affect your ability to settle your case. If your spouse was okay with the divorce, the same may not be true when he or she finds out you’re dating. It can make negotiations harder if there’s accusations of adultery or even hurt feelings over moving on so quickly.
Second, dating can actually affect how much spousal support you receive. By law, you’re married until you are divorced by a judge. Even if you’re separated, if you’re being sexually intimate with someone else, you could be committing adultery. If an at-fault case is still possible, then you could be accused of adultery, and your spouse could win. The amount of spousal support you receive could be limited. If you decide to move in with your new partner, the chances of getting spousal support are slim.
Finally, dating during a divorce can affect child custody arguments. When you write a parenting plan, it’s with the assumption that each of you will be alone with a child during the vitiation times. If you have a new partner, that can be a problem. It can make the other parent concerned about who’s in the child’s or children’s lives and make them feel as if they’re being replaced. That’s something they could take to their attorney and try to use against you.
Source: The Huffington Post, “7 Reasons NOT To Date During Your Divorce,” Karen Covy, Sep. 29, 2016