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Adultery unlikely to play a central role in a Georgia divorce

The discovery that one’s spouse is having an affair can be one of the most difficult things that a man or woman can weather. In many cases, the end result of adultery is divorce, although it can take along time for a spouse to reach that decision. When a Georgia spouse files for divorce based on infidelity, he or she often expects that those poor choices will be a focal point in the process of ending the marriage. Many are surprised to learn that adultery plays a far lesser role than they might have imagined.

While an act of adultery may be grounds for filing for divorce, the matter often ends there. When it comes to issues of child support or alimony, cheating is not a factor that is considered when calculating those payments. The same applies to the process of property division; assets are divided between spouses in an equitable manner, with no “weight” being placed on which party voided the marital contract.

These realities point to the need for the wronged spouse to reframe the way that he or she views the end of the marriage. Instead of looking at divorce and property division as a way to punish the offending party, the goal should be on retaining as much marital wealth as possible. This ensures that there is more to go around in the end, and that one is better positioned to move forward as a single person once the divorce is final.

It can be difficult to accept that adultery is not an act that is “punishable” through the divorce process. However, it is imperative that spouses who have been subjected to cheating are able to set their emotions aside and make rational choices when it comes to important divorce issues. This is a time of foundation-building, and looking ahead toward a future that is of one’s own design. Savvy Georgia spouses will accept that in most cases, living well really is the best revenge.

Source: Huffington Post, Divorce Confidential: A Cheating Heart and Its Role in Divorce, Caroline Choi, Oct. 1, 2013