People in Massachusetts may understandably be tempted to date during their divorces. After all, they are likely feeling unappreciated, stressed out and unloved. However, dating during divorce can have major implications both financially and legally.
Dating while the divorce process is going on may be a bad idea. One reason to avoid going on dates while getting divorced is that the other spouse might feel humiliated by one’s decision to date. This might make working with the other spouse to achieve a settlement even harder.
Going on dates with people during the divorce process can also have an adverse impact on a person’s property distribution. Some people may want to give up their right to alimony in exchange for getting martial property, as any money received as part of property settlements is not taxable, while spousal support is typically considered taxable income. A future ex might also like this idea because he or she will not be obligated to provide support in the future. However, if someone has already started dating somebody else, the future ex-spouse might be a lot less likely to give the person more property rather than paying him or her spousal support.
The divorce process in Massachusetts can be overwhelming, with one mistake having the potential to negatively affect a person long term. An applied understanding of the law may help people to make wise choices that positively impact their financial situations following divorce. If the parties are able to see eye to eye when dealing with matters such as asset division or property division, they may be able to achieve a settlement that they both consider to be beneficial considering the circumstances.
Source:Â huffingtonpost.com, “7 Reasons NOT To Date During Your Divorce“, Karen Covy, Sept. 29, 2016