Divorcing a Cheating Spouse? No Private Investigators!

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in DuPage County divorce lawyer

You suspect your husband or wife of cheating. Maybe you pieced together a series of small irregularities: a late night at the office, followed by a cleared internet search history. It could just be a chill in the relationship. Or maybe you just got a feeling. For whatever reason, you believe that the marriage might be over, and you want to know what to do. Aside from consulting an experienced divorce lawyer, there is not much you can do. There is, however, one thing you should not do in seeking a divorce, and that is hiring a private investigator.

 Private Investigators

The classic noir films are full of images of the hard-boiled private eye, clad in a trench coat and fedora, smoking a cigarette while peering through binoculars, watching someone’s husband in the throes of passion with someone not his wife, all the while taking notes for a soon-to-be-heartbroken client. While these images make for good movies, the reality of the situation is far less romantic, and far less important in divorce today.

 Surveillance is one service private investigators offer to clients. However, this is just one aspect of a private investigator’s job. Depending on the client, the PI might pore over public records, investigate patent infringement, or simply walk up to a target and ask them straightforward questions. While good PIs exist, and their services may be helpful, you still should not hire one.

 You Can Still Get Divorced

For someone divorcing a spouse, whether the spouse was faithful or not has little effect on whether a divorce can be obtained. Under Illinois law, adultery is certainly grounds for a divorce. However, there are other grounds for divorce that are perfectly valid. Illinois also offers a no fault divorce, under which no grounds are needed to end the marriage. The end result will be the same whether your spouse has cheated on you or not.

 Your Judgment Will Likely Be the Same

Alimony is available to many divorced spouses. The effect an affair has on that judgment, however, is minimal. Judges do not take fault into consideration when allocating money for spousal support. The only money that you could recover is money that was used to further the affair, and even then, it would likely not be all of the money. Whether money you were entitled to was used to further the affair could be a matter for a private investigator, but private investigators are expensive, and an experienced divorce lawyer can usually find the information you need without the help of a PI.

 Contact an Experienced Divorce Lawyer

 Divorce is emotional and complex. Experienced attorneys know the best course of action, and can get results. If you are seeking a divorce, contact our law office today. We provide help to residents of the cities of Aurora, Oswego, Naperville, Yorkville, and many other nearby communities.