A Louisiana Divorce Attorney Speaks on Infidelity

There are few things as heartbreaking as having a spouse be unfaithful. A marriage is supposed to be a lifelong commitment to another person. When infidelity occurs, it can invalidate all of the time, effort, and love which preceded it, not to mention the expense of having to hire a divorce attorney. In Louisiana, there can be numerous adverse legal effects for the cheating spouse as well.

Let's say Ken and Cindy are married for twenty years. Cindy is a world famous painter who has works hanging in some of the most famous galleries in America. Her success with painting took off soon after she was married to Ken, and she credits him with much of her inspiration. In fact, Cindy was so grateful that she insisted Ken not work, but rather stay at home with her and occupy his time with hobbies.

Ken readily agreed. He quit going to night school to be a businessman, and also quit his day job as a telemarketer. Over the next two decades, their marriage had its ups and downs, but generally it was pretty stable.

Then in year twenty of their relationship, the couple hired a cleaning lady to regularly tend to the house. The cleaning lady was a very young and beautiful Latina woman named Graciela. Almost immediately, Ken was love-struck. He constantly was exchanging glances and secret conversations with her whenever Cindy was not around. Eventually, the two became romantic. They even had the audacity to do so in the house which Ken and Cindy shared.

Unbeknownst to Ken, a few months prior Cindy had installed cameras throughout the family home. She did so in part because she wanted to monitor the cleaning lady's activities. She was a little embarrassed about her paranoia, so she did not bother to tell Ken. One day while she was reviewing the tapes, she discovered footage of the unthinkable: Ken cheating on her with Graciela. Cindy hired a divorce attorney the next day.

Conclusive evidence of Ken committing an act of adultery may change the landscape for a divorce attorney. Normally Cindy and Ken (assuming they had no children) would have to live apart for one hundred and eighty days before their divorce attorney could move to end the marriage. The hope would be that during this time a reconciliation would take place. Ken is not afforded such an opportunity.

Additionally, Ken can lose his right to spousal support as the result of the infidelity. Presumably because of Cindy's wealth, the couple shared in a luxurious lifestyle. Also, Ken did not work for the duration of the marriage and so became dependent on Cindy's income. While these things could entitle him to a handsome spousal support award, they are now irrelevant given his behavior.

All told, there is a chance that mere weeks after being discovered as an adulterer, Ken would be left with no job or job experience, no spousal support, no wife, and in need of a divorce attorney. In Louisiana, the laws punish an adulterous spouse severely, and one should think twice before taking a bite of the forbidden fruit.

This article is written to be general information only; it should not be taken as formal legal advice. Will Beaumont. New Orleans.