Divorce can be a lonely, depressing and stressful process, which is why many people take this opportunity to re-enter the dating scene. Although falling in love again can spark happiness and optimism for the future, it is wise to refrain from dating until your divorce has been finalized.
Despite the fact that you may believe you are ready to move on, dating during a divorce can have a serious impact on the end result. While doing so is not exactly beneficial for your long-term emotional health, it can have a negative impact on legal and financial aspects of your divorce.
The following are several reasons why it is a bad idea to date when a divorce is pending:
- A more expensive and time-consuming divorce – If you start dating another person, your soon-to-be-ex-spouse may feel jealous and seek revenge by turning the divorce process into a hotly contested dispute. Unless the other party is completely fine with your new romance, he/she is going to feel like they have been betrayed and make reaching a settlement more challenging.
- Impact on your children and child-related issues – When it comes to creating a parenting plan, dating can only complicate matters. The non-dating spouse may be worried about how the new lover will affect the kids and how much time he/she will spend with them, which can make reaching an agreement much more difficult. Furthermore, new relationships often require a lot of time spent between the two lovers, meaning the children will spend less time with their parent.
- Affect alimony – If you date during your divorce, the other party could accuse you of adultery. Although Kentucky is a no-fault divorce state, adultery can have a minor impact on alimony decisions. The judge can use adultery as a factor when determining how much alimony to award.
- Unstable emotions – Whether you date to forget the pain or because your marriage was dead for so long, you are still not truly yourself. To truly move on from life after marriage, you need to confront your emotions. Allow yourself to feel the pain, sadness, anger associated with divorce. Without dealing with your emotions, you are bound to repeat the same mistakes you made in your marriage with your new lover. While hiding your pain in a new romance may suffice, for the time being, it will be nothing more than temporary.
If you are still considering dating during a divorce, especially if you recently met someone new, inform him/her of your current situation. It is also important to speak with your divorce attorney to discover how it will impact your case.
If you are interested in filing for divorce in Louisville, KY, contact our experienced legal team at Winner Law Group, LLC today.
