Infidelity is one of the leading factors that lead to divorce in Georgia and nationwide. However, romantic infidelity is not the only sort of unfaithfulness that may lead to the dissolution of a marriage. Financial infidelity may also have a disastrous effect on a marriage.
The concept of financial infidelity may seem like a foreign one at first blush, but when you consider it, financial fidelity is often viewed by many as just as important to romantic or emotional fidelity. Trust is a vital part of any healthy relationship, and once that has been broken, regardless of how it has been broken, the relationship will suffer. In a marriage, one of the biggest elements of that trust is with money. You and your spouse work hard, and you both expect to share the resources in some ways that benefit you both. But, when one spouse discovers that the other has been making financial moves that undermine the goals mutually agreed upon by both spouses, it can be a very hard pill to swallow.
Financial infidelity can come in all shapes and forms such as one spouse spending far more money than his or her partner imagined, racking up bills and quietly paying them out of the shared checking account, or even worse, a situation where one spouse is using marital funds to finance an extramarital affair unbeknownst to the other spouse. If you find yourself in a situation such as the ones described above, below are a few steps that you should consider going forward:
Step 1: Decide what you want from the situation. First, cool down and determine what outcome is most desirable and how you and your spouse can potentially work together to achieve that outcome.
Step 2: Ask yourself why your partner is doing this. Is it addiction, an affair, or is your spouse simply refusing to connect his or her spending to the goals you have together? Your ultimate solution may very well depend on the actual root of the financial infidelity.
Does your partner perhaps not agree with those goals you share?
Step 3: Have the conversation. Calmly share your concerns with your spouse and allow him to her to air their position. Try your best not to get angry. But if emotions get out of hand, simply end the conversation and give the situation more thought until both you and your spouse cool down. If despite several attempts at productive discussion, you and your spouse are still unable to reach an acceptable conclusion, it may be an indication of deeper problems in your marriage. If this is so, consulting with an experienced family law attorney may help you determine what steps you should take to ensure you and everything you have worked hard for are protected.