Will Dating Impact My Divorce Case In Any Way?

Once the paperwork is formally filed and divorce is underway, it is easy to think you are free to move on and, possibly, give love another shot. After all, you are no longer romantically involved with your soon-to-be ex. But is this always a good idea?

While no law in Arizona prohibits you from dating while your divorce is underway, doing so can be unwise in a number of ways. Here is what you need to know about dating during divorce:

Your new love could be caught up in your divorce case

Your spouse could easily accuse you of having an affair – and this is technically true since you are still married to them. Consequently, they may get back by frustrating and dragging the process, and you do not want to give them this ammunition.

You could be accused of wasteful dissipation

During the divorce, the court will divide the marital estate according to Arizona property division laws. Per these laws, marital property is divided equally, giving each party 50 percent of the marital estate. If you hop back into the dating pool before the divorce is finalized, your spouse could accuse you of squandering marital assets, especially if they believe you are using marital property to treat your new lover.

Your child custody case could be complicated

If you have minor children with your spouse, you can be certain that adding a third person to the relationship will complicate your child custody case. For instance, the court may scrutinize your new partner when allotting custody and parenting time. And if the court deems your new partner to be a danger to your children (perhaps they have a history of violent crimes or they are registered sex offenders), then you might lose your custody case altogether.

Dating during divorce can be detrimental in a number of ways. Before taking this route, it’s important that you tread carefully and avoid pitfalls that can hurt your divorce case, including being mindful of what can be used against you in a divorce.