What Happens if You Begin Dating During Divorce Proceedings?
Divorce is already a complicated matter. You understand that you will spend time and money on things like mediation and going before a judge on some of the most important matters in your life. But what happens if, during divorce proceedings, you find somebody and start dating? Dating can sometimes get in the way of your proceedings as well as have an effect on your custody matters, which could put a damper on your life in many ways.
How Dating Can Affect Your Divorce
Marital misconduct is something that is considered during divorce and could have an effect on the proceedings, which can include things like adultery and cruelty to another person. The judge might see you dating during proceedings as a negative thing, and form a bias against you. The new relationship may not also be considered in the division or property or cases involving alimony if your new relationship involves large amounts of income used to support you. If you are already living with a new partner, the court may see this as a reason to decrease your amount of spousal support available. By dating a new partner, you could be inadvertently causing the other spouse to disagree with you while trying to negotiate matters like support, property, and your children.
Child Custody When Dating a New Partner
Dating a new partner during divorce could have a direct impact on child custody determinations, which are some of the most important aspects of your divorce case. By dating someone so quickly after filing for divorce, you could be giving your children difficulty in their personal lives, such as discomfort seeing their mother or father with a new partner, or making them move into a new home. If a child is uncomfortable about the new partner, the court may hear this matter.
Your spouse may also consider the fact that they do not know or like the company of the new partner, and could disagree with you on a variety of custody matters as a result. The judge will then have to look at matters from their own perspective, suggesting custody situations based on the best interest of the child. This could put you at a crossroads with one another, with your children right at the center. This is why it is important to speak to us today before you go through with your divorce matters to get a better idea of what you are facing. We can help you understand how dating can effect your proceedings and what may be best for your family. Call us today for more.