Infidelity is one of the reasons people seek divorces, and when cheating is involved, Texas residents know that the tension and hurt are usually more intense. The discovery of an infidelity might make it more challenging for the wronged spouse to think logically about the divorce situation. The leak of the email accounts of 37 million Ashley Madison users leads to the questions if and how a spouse’s Ashley Madison account can impact a divorce.
People might think that finding out that a spouse has an Ashley Madison account might automatically result in the wronged spouse getting all they want in a divorce decree. The reality is different, and even if a person’s spouse was using the site to look for extra-marital affairs, judges still need to focus on the state law when granting a divorce. All states have some version of no-fault divorce laws, which means the reasons are not taken into consideration.
However, there are some ways the discovery of an Ashley Madison account can impact a divorce. One way is through finances. If the other spouse can provide credit card proof, for example, of how much their spouse spent on the site and how much the person spent on the affair, then it might be possible to get that money back as part of the settlement. Another way is by using the cheating spouse’s guilt as leverage when negotiating settlements.
The end of a marriage can be an emotional time, regardless of the reasons behind it. A family law attorney might counsel a client who is going through one to be clearheaded when negotiating a settlement agreement.
