Is Dating during a Divorce a Good Idea?

If you’ve filed for divorce from your spouse, there’s a good chance that you’ve been unhappy in your relationship for many months, if not for years. You may be eager to explore new relationships by hopping back into the dating pool. Perhaps you’re eager to begin dating someone for whom you’ve long had feelings that you’ve been ignoring while trying to salvage your marriage. Even after you and your spouse have decided to end your relationship, there are a few good reasons why you might not want to begin dating while your divorce is ongoing. Read on to learn about why some divorcées avoid dating before a divorce is final, and speak with a knowledgeable New Jersey divorce attorney for more information.

Cohabiting with a new partner will affect alimony

During your divorce, you’re likely to be facing numerous additional expenses—the cost of filing for divorce and hiring an attorney, the costs associated with establishing a new home, as well as additional child care costs if one spouse was previously a stay-at-home parent. You may be desperate for ways to reduce your monthly expenses, even considering moving in with a new romantic partner to limit your costs of living. If you anticipate receiving alimony, however, you may want to reconsider. New Jersey courts have the right to suspend or terminate alimony if the judge concludes that the spouse receiving alimony is cohabiting with a romantic partner.

Courts may see a new relationship as having a negative effect on your abilities as a parent

Dating during your split could also affect the custody arrangement imposed by the courts. Entering into a new relationship won’t necessarily make you a worse parent in the eyes of the court, but if it appears that your dating life interferes with your ability to be a responsible, attentive parent, then the court will be less inclined to award you a large share of parenting time.

For example, if your co-parent can show that you’re often leaving your children with babysitters in order to go on dates, then you may not receive as many overnight visits with your kids. If you frequently introduce your children to new romantic partners, neglect your children when your new boyfriend or girlfriend is present, or your new partner poses a safety risk to your kids, this could lead the court to find it in your children’s best interests to place them in their other parent’s custody, rather than yours.

If you’re planning to file for divorce in New Jersey, get the help of responsible, dedicated and experienced legal counsel by contacting the Union family law attorney John B. D’Alessandro for a consultation on your case at 908-964-0102.