One of the most common questions asked by men and women who are contemplating a divorce is “how will my spouse’s cheating on me” impact the case. Many people see cheating as the ultimate betrayal. So, they want the court system to exact revenge on the soon-to-be ex-spouse. They want their spouse to get punished for breaking the marital bond.

Does Cheating Matter?

In years past, adultery was a serious matter to allege, and fault for a divorce played a role in the awarding of support or alimony and who received what assets of the marital estate. Nowadays, the existence of adultery doesn’t really impact the case at all. Judges do not take the role of preacher condemning the cheater spouse. While they may feel sympathy for the cheated spouse, they cannot let those feelings guide the resolution of the case.

In fashioning a settlement or decision, the court looks to the equities involved. They consider who contributed what to the family. Also, they consider how the result should get divided without considering “punishment” of one of the couple. Truly, in Connecticut, cheating doesn’t really “matter” in the long run – you probably have much more compelling legal arguments you can make.