You filed a Complaint for Divorce and are ready to move on with your life. Should you date before your divorce is final?  Can dating someone hurt you while you are going through the divorce process? Could dating hurt you at all?

Although it is always best to wait until the divorce is final, in Massachusetts, dating is unlikely to affect the outcome of your divorce so long as it is done tastefully and with discretion. It is best not to ignite your spouse in an already stressful situation. In a divorce with minor children, it is not necessary to introduce those children into the dating process, or to the new significant other, during the pendency of a divorce. It is never advisable to use/spend excessive assets on dating your new significant other.  This will throw up a red flag and potentially ignite the other spouse, particularly if you are in a high asset divorce where income or other financial assets are being disputed.

Massachusetts is a no-fault state. Judges often find that one or both parties are dating during the divorce process. Frankly, this rarely contributes to any decision by the Court. I find that only in cases of extreme marital misconduct, wasting of assets dating the new significant other or interaction with the children does the Court consider this information in its decision making process.

It is never good to accept a general answer, such as the one on this blog, as fact for your particular situation. Always discuss dating with your own attorney. If you don’t have one, consult a lawyer on whether dating is okay in your particular situation. Contact us online to discuss your situation.  We will put a plan together to be sure you are proceeding in the right direction.