Avoid Dating Until After Your Divorce

 Posted on September 21, 2018 in Divorce

Are you legally allowed to date someone before you have officially divorced? The answer in Illinois is “yes.” Some states recognize marital misconduct such as adultery as a reason for divorce and will penalize the spouse at fault in the divorce settlement. Illinois is a no-fault divorce state, meaning that spouses do not cite a reason such as adultery when filing for divorce. However, dating during your divorce is still a poor decision because it can needlessly complicate the process and put you at a disadvantage.

Harming Negotiations

Your spouse will be upset if he or she learns that you have started dating while you are still settling your divorce. Your spouse is likely still emotional about the end of your marriage, and knowing that you are seeing someone else will cause him or her to feel hurt, angry, jealous, and/or depressed. He or she may use your divorce negotiations as a way to get back at you by:

• Being more argumentative;
• Refusing to compromise on the division of property;
• Not agreeing to spousal maintenance payments; and
• Aggressively seeking a majority of the parenting time with your children.

Your decision to start dating has injected fresh emotions into the negotiations, which makes the process more contentious and time-consuming.

Harming Your Case

A divorce court will not punish you for the act of dating someone else during your divorce. However, your actions and behavior while dating can have consequences on your divorce settlement:

• Spending marital money on your date may be a misuse of marital property and could result in you receiving a decreased share of marital property;
• If you are living with someone else during your divorce, your spouse may argue that the court should give you less money in spousal maintenance; and
• When determining the allocation of parental responsibilities, the court may view your dating activity unfavorably if it interferes with your parental responsibilities.

Harming Yourself

Few people are emotionally ready to start dating again while their divorce is ongoing. You are still recovering from the breakup of your marriage and uncertain about how your life will change after your divorce. Trying to start a new relationship creates more emotional stress and distracts you from completing your divorce. Your friends and family are better people to turn to if you are feeling lonely.

Be Patient

As eager as you may be to find a new romantic partner, it is more important to negotiate a divorce agreement that gives you financial stability and a share of the parental responsibilities. A DuPage County divorce attorney at Calabrese Associates, P.C., can help you focus on the divorce process. To schedule a consultation, call 630-393-3111.

Source:

https://www.womansdivorce.com/dating-during-divorce.html