There are many reasons why a couple may choose to end their marriage, but infidelity is one of the most common causes of the breakdown of a relationship. When one spouse engages in an extramarital affair, the other spouse will most likely feel betrayed, and the anger and sadness that they experience may lead to contentious disputes during the divorce process. Understanding the role that infidelity may play when addressing divorce-related issues, can help spouses make the right decisions that will allow them to resolve disputes and complete the process of dissolving their marriage.
To ensure that legal issues are addressed correctly during the divorce process, it is crucial to work with an experienced family law attorney. At Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC, our lawyers work closely with divorcing spouses, ensuring that they understand their rights and the best ways to handle concerns related to infidelity and other matters that may affect their case. We help our clients determine how they can resolve disputes with minimal conflict, but we are also prepared to argue cases in the courtroom and pursue divorce litigation when necessary. Our goal is to help divorcing spouses complete the process of dissolving their marriage as efficiently as possible while also making sure they will be prepared for success in the future.
Addressing Infidelity When Filing for Divorce
When one spouse files a petition for divorce, they may believe that they will need to detail the reasons why they wish to end their marriage, and they may think that by laying the blame for the divorce on infidelity committed by the other spouse, this will provide them with an advantage during divorce proceedings. However, since a change to the laws in 2016, the state of Illinois no longer recognizes fault-based grounds for divorce. That is, a divorce petition will not state the specific reasons why a person wishes to end their marriage, and it will not make any claims about whether either party was to blame for the breakdown of the couple’s relationship.
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