Living Together During a Divorce: Don’t Do It
In today’s economic climate, many married couples in turmoil are considering living together during and after their divorce. While there may be some economic advantages, there are tremendous risks with living together with your ex-spouse during litigation and after the divorce is settled. Below I highlight the turmoil arising when divorcing couples continue to live together:
- Domestic Violence. The already tense situation of couples who are not getting along can boil over when a party files for divorce while the couple continues to live together. We have seen domestic violence occur when a party has been served. Also, it can be incredibly difficult to demarcate parts of the home that are off limits to the other spouse especially when there are children living in the home. Although residing in two different homes during a divorce can add tremendous financial strain, no amount of savings is worth getting arrested and/or prosecuted for domestic battery.
- Dividing Household Expenses. When couples continue to live together, it can be difficult to fairly divide the living expenses. A party may be covering a disproportionately larger share of the household expenses which can create resentment with the other spouse especially if the other spouse is not employed outside the home.
- Third Parties. Sometimes the parties have moved on with different partners. This can create awkwardness between a divorcing couple still living together if one or both of the parties have new partners.
- Difficulty removing the other party from the home. Sometimes a spouse does not want to move out of the home even after court orders are entered because they have become too comfortable with the current living arrangement despite the divorce. This can result in additional expenses incurred to evict the other party.
In conclusion, while it may be appealing financially to consider living together during or after a divorce, it is inevitable that the divorcing couple will lead separate lives. My advice: Tear off the bandaid quick!
If you would like to know more about the divorce process, please call (312) 546-5077 or janice@pinaylaw.com. Thank you for reading. Until we meet again, love one another.
