People expect honesty from their spouses, as trust is crucial to any healthy relationship. Unfortunately, infidelity has long been a leading cause of marital dissolution in the United States and elsewhere. When one spouse breaches the trust of the other, it may not be possible for the relationship to recover.
Typically, those discussing infidelity specifically mean adulterous extramarital affairs, but there is actually more than one kind of infidelity that may lead to divorce. Some people also take issue with signs of emotional infidelity, which may involve one spouse withdrawing from the other and beginning to rely on and confide in someone other than their spouse for their most serious personal issues. Additionally, a truly distinct form of dishonesty has become an increasingly common reason that people now file for divorce.
Financial infidelity involves lying about debts or assets
Spouses generally have responsibility for one another’s financial obligations and have an interest in each other’s assets. Therefore, they should be honest with one another about what they own and what they owe. Despite the mutual accountability created by marriage, financial infidelity is a common issue in modern relationships. One partner does not disclose to the other the truth of their financial circumstances. They may have secret debts that they try to hide or perhaps bank accounts and income that they never talk about with their partner. Financial infidelity may lead to one spouse filing for divorce when they realize that the other has wasted their shared resources.
Financial infidelity can also potentially complicate divorce if it leads to one spouse lying about the marital assets. In scenarios involving significant financial misrepresentation or misconduct, people may need to ask the courts to exclude certain debts from the marital estate or consider one spouse’s financial lies when deciding how to divide their property.
Those who do not want to be responsible for a spouse’s financial misconduct or who simply want a fair share of their marital state may require support as they prepare for what could prove a complicated divorce. Recognizing that financial infidelity can be as damaging as other kinds of lying in a marriage may help to empower those who have been shocked by the lies of a spouse.
