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Can someone legally begin seriously dating someone while going through a divorce? He is not divorced yet and had not gone through a separation... just straight into a divorce proceeding. He and his new girlfriend are already planning on getting married after the divorce is final. :eek:
This sounds like a lose, lose situation. Sheesh anyone would see that. In most states, I think it is called cheating when he is not divorced.
Hello Delilah:Quote:
Originally Posted by Delilah P
No, it's not illegal, any more than breaking any contract is illegal.
excon
Sorry no it is not illegal, any laws that made it illegal was considered unconstitutional long ago. It is against God's law, but he gets his fine and punishment in his own way. Since they are still married, it is just the same as cheating as it would be for any married couple.
This piece of information from Wikpedia:
Legal penalties for adultery
Historically, adultery has been subject to severe sanctions, including the death penalty, and has been grounds for divorce under fault-based divorce laws. In some places, the method of punishment for adultery is stoning to death.[1]
In the original Napoleonic Code, a man could ask to be divorced from his wife if she committed adultery, but the philandery of the husband was not a sufficient motive for divorce unless he had kept his concubine in the family home.
In some jurisdictions, including Korea and Taiwan, adultery is illegal. In the United States, laws vary from state to state. For example, in Pennsylvania, adultery is technically punishable by 2 years of imprisonment or 18 months of treatment for insanity (for history, see Hamowy) (criminal statute repealed 1972), while in Michigan the Court of Appeals, the state's second-highest court, ruled that a little-known provision of state criminal law means that adultery carries a potential life sentence.[2] In Maryland, adultery is punishable by a fine of ten dollars. That being said, such statutes are typically considered blue laws and are rarely, if ever, enforced. In the U.S. Military, adultery is a court-martialable offense only if it was "to the prejudice of good order and discipline" or "of a nature to bring discredit upon the armed forces" [3]. This law has been applied to cases where both partners were members of the military, particularly where one was in command of the other, or one partner and the other's spouse. The enforceability of criminal sanctions for adultery is questionable in light of Supreme Court decisions since 1965 relating to privacy and sexual intimacy, and particularly in light of Lawrence v. Texas, which protected the right of privacy for consenting adults.
In Canadian law, adultery is defined under the Divorce Act. Though the written definition sets it as extramarital relations with someone of the opposite sex, the recent change in the definition of marriage gave grounds for a British Columbia judge to strike that definition down. In a 2005 case of a woman filing for divorce, her husband had cheated on her with another man, which the judge felt was equal reasoning to dissolve the union.
You can read the whole article on adultery on: Adultery - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Also see: State Adultery Laws
Thanks everyone for your thoughts on my question. <heavy sigh>It just seems to me that the parties getting a divorce should WAIT until the proceedings are finalized before seeing other people. So, I guess it's not illegal in the eyes of the law, but certainly in the eyes of God. But, I thought for sure the courts would frown upon it, especially when it comes to the details dealing with property, assets, etc... where one spouse is already seeing someone while thedivorce proceedings are still going on. Oh well.
Thanks all!
Some judges probably do frown on it. Only one of many reasons a prudent person would wait awhile before getting involved with someone else.Quote:
Originally Posted by Delilah P
Depending on the state you live in... some states do not offer a "no fault" divorce. Meaning someone will be found at fault for the reasons of the divorce. One such state is MA. Also, there is the possibility of being sued for causing "alienation of affection". A judge has a lot of discretion. If there are assets being divided, consideration of spousal support, kids involved, etc... the new relationship could be looked at closer. Ultimately, it's not against the law but there are some states that do take this into consideration when deciding financial, custody, causes for divorce. Not sure if this helps but many people are not aware of this possibility. Cathy
Its not illegal. I don't think it's a very sensible idea, at the end of the day running from one serious relationship straight into another rarely works long term. But its not illegal, and would not be classed as cheating if divorce proceedings are underway. I am almost divorced, just have to wait another 2 weeks for my decree absoloute to be pronounced, and I have been with my current partner for 2 and a half years now, as has my ex husband been with his new partner for around the same amount of time. We have been separated for nearly 4 years now, just couldn't really be bothered getting divorced before now. I have no plans to marry my partner (Been there done that!)so divorce wasn't important to us. The fact we are still legally married is just a legal technicality to my ex and I, we haven't been a couple for so much time. Saying all this, a close friend of mine is living with and engaged to her partner (with a baby on the way) despite him only splitting from his wife little over a year ago. They got together very soon after he and his wife separated, but she left him, and he didn't go out looking for a new relaitonship, it just happened. They are getting married as soon as his divorce is out of the way. On the whole I don't think it is the greatest idea, but at the end of the day it may work out, and if it doesn't, people can only try to learn from their mistakes!
I'm going through my second divorce. My lawyer told me that once my husband had moved out and we had begun the divorce proceedings I could date. I would be doing nothing wrong. I could not be accused of immoral behavior. So, I have dated men. I do not feel I am doing anything wrong. The divorce is taking forever. Why should I put my life on hold?
If what OP terms "seriously dating" is her way of saying adultery, and as Shygrneyzs has noted, actually it is illegal, in some states.Quote:
Originally Posted by Squiffy
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