In the State of Texas, dating before a divorce is finalized is not recommended. Even though most people “feel” divorced after they have separated from their spouse, you remain married until the day the Judge declares you are divorced.
Although companionship can help you to cope with the stresses of the divorce process, dating will only serve to complicate matters. Further, it may cause an emotional reaction from your current spouse that could change the dynamic of what began as an uncontested divorce. This could range from simple cold behavior to assertions of “adultery.” If any lines have been blurred that would lead a judge to believe adultery occurred during the marriage, it could lessen the amount of money and assets (i.e. property) you recover in the divorce settlement. Additionally, it can be very confusing for your children if you start dating soon after separating from your spouse.
Because no one wants to hear the conservative advice of an attorney, I’ll try to appeal to your wallet. The less friction in a divorce, the less the attorney fees will be. If dating makes your spouse jealous or angry, it may make them unreasonable. A vindictive spouse can quickly make a divorce an expensive, time consuming, and emotionally-draining process. Most attorneys in the State of Texas agree, if it all possible, to stay amiable and level-headed with your spouse throughout the process. You will then save yourself considerable headaches, not to mention attorney’s fees.
0 Responses
Stay in touch with the conversation, subscribe to the RSS feed for comments on this post.