When your marriage is in turmoil due to infidelity, it’s up to you to decide the most effective way to deal with it. You have to choose whether the marriage is worth saving or not. Dealing with marital infidelity can be one of the hardest, most humiliating, and infuriating situations to endure in your marriage. Infidelity can shatter a marriage, and it is important that you do what you can to understand the implications it can have on your divorce. A St. Louis divorce lawyer can help.
Learning that your spouse has betrayed your marriage can be a painful situation to find yourself in. You may be feeling a lot of conflicting emotions, and all of them are valid. At this point, you need to decide whether you want to work to get past the infidelity or end the marriage. Since Missouri is a no-fault divorce state, infidelity will not directly affect the settlement, but it can impact it indirectly.
Be Sure to Hire a Lawyer
When your partner is unfaithful in your marriage and you want to get a divorce, you should immediately hire an experienced divorce lawyer to help you determine the proper course of action for your case. Having the right kind of legal help by your side can make all the difference and shift things in your favor.
The legal team at Stange Law Firm has provided countless people in different states with guidance and support as they figure out their next steps after infidelity. We can help you with your case, too.
It may be helpful to know the rates of marriage and divorce in Missouri, as it can validate your decision and make you feel like you are not alone. According to the CDC in 2023, Missouri had a divorce rate of 2.6 per 1,000 residents. At the same time, the marriage rate was at 5.8 per 1,000 residents in the same year, according to information from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Enduring a divorce can be difficult enough without also having to come to terms with your spouse’s infidelity. The effect this can all have on your mental state can be staggering. You can reach out to a local support group like The Love Collaborative or DivorceCare, if only to talk to people who may be going through something similar. It can be good to have a judgment-free zone to discuss your fears and concerns for the future.
Dealing With Marital Infidelity
As you navigate your divorce, one of the most important things you have to try to do is move past your spouse’s infidelity. You don’t have to do this for their sake. You don’t even have to forgive them if you feel you can’t. However, for your own sake, you should move past it and focus on your future. Don’t shut yourself down and don’t alienate the people who care about you. Instead, focus on ways to move past marital infidelity.
One of the most effective things you can do to shift your focus away from the incident is to foster the other positive relationships in your life. You may have friends, family, neighbors, coworkers, and extended family who care about you and want to help you through this pain. When you are hurting, you should embrace every bit of support you receive. You may also want to take this time to reconnect with old friends you may have lost touch with.
It may not be healthy to leave certain doors open. For the sake of closure, you may want to contact your ex one final time to get everything out in the open. If you left the marital home and filed for divorce without speaking to them, the lack of details of what happened may be eating at you. If you can confront them, be clear about what you want and tell them how everything has affected you. One last conversation may be good for healing.
FAQs
Q: What Are the Grounds for Divorce in Missouri?
A: Since Missouri is a no-fault divorce state, the only grounds for divorce in the state is the irretrievable breakdown of the marriage. You are not legally required to provide a valid reason for the divorce. If you feel the marriage is broken beyond repair, you can file for divorce if you want to.
Q: What if My Spouse Doesn’t Want a Divorce?
A: If your spouse doesn’t want to get divorced, you can still move forward with it. However, you will likely need to prove that the marriage has become irretrievably broken, even if your spouse does not believe that it has. Evidence of infidelity, abandonment, or separate living situations can go a long way towards proving your point and helping you obtain a divorce against your spouse’s wishes.
Q: Can Infidelity Affect a Divorce in Missouri?
A: Infidelity may or may not affect a divorce in Missouri. Since Missouri is a no-fault divorce state, infidelity generally will not have a direct impact on either party’s divorce settlement. However, the more evidence you have of your partner’s affair, the more it can impact other elements of the divorce. For example, if your partner used marital funds to pay for the affair, that can turn the division of assets in your favor.
Q: Do I Need to Hire an Attorney for a Divorce?
A: You may need to hire an attorney if you choose to move forward with a divorce. While you are not required to hire a legal professional for help, it is always recommended that you have someone by your side just in case. It is likely that your spouse will hire their own lawyer, and you don’t want to be caught without help.
Reach Out Today
At Stange Law Firm, we can help you figure out the right way forward for your case. Contact our firm to speak to one of the skilled lawyers on our team about what we can do to support you.