Friendly Texting Can Lead to Affairs, Divorce

 Posted on August 01, 2017 in Divorce

Texting is a common starting point for emotional and physical affairs during a marriage. A spouse may believe that intimate conversations via text are innocent and confidential. However, the affair can create a deeper disconnect in a marriage, sometimes ending in divorce. As a no-fault divorce state, Illinois will not officially punish a spouse for infidelity. Still, having an affair can negatively impact a spouse during the divorce process:

• The divorce may be more combative due to feelings of betrayal;
• The court may count purchases made during the affair against the cheating spouse when dividing marital property; and
• The spouse’s actions during the affair may reflect poorly on his or her fitness as a parent.

Infidelity may be a symptom of larger marital problems, but the act can make your divorce more difficult. It is important to understand how texting may tempt you to be unfaithful and ways to combat those temptations.

Ubiquitous Tool

Texting and social media channels represent the latest evolution of communication technology. Communication tools have long been used for extramarital affairs, such as love letters and secret telephone conversations. Texting is different because it is immediate and relatively discreet. A spouse may think of texting as an innocuous means of conversing with all sorts of personal acquaintances. The affair may start as texting between friends or coworkers, before becoming more intimate conversations or physical encounters. Even if the affair never leaves the digital realm, the cheating spouse becomes emotionally distant from his or her marital partner, while growing closer to the affair partner.

Avoiding an Affair

You may naturally become dissatisfied and emotionally distant during your marriage. Often, no one is to blame when such a disconnect results in a divorce. However, having an affair can cast you as the villain of the divorce in the eyes of your friends and family. The divorce court may feel less sympathetic towards you when it has discretion in deciding the settlement. Because texting can be a tempting means of infidelity, you may need to make a conscious effort to prevent interaction that can lead to an affair:

• Limit your texting with members of your preferred sex to professional correspondences;
• When dealing with someone you may be attracted to, insist on publicly talking on the phone instead of texting;
• Stop conversations if they show signs of becoming intimate or inappropriate; and
• Be open with your spouse about who you are texting with and what you are talking about.

Disconnect Leading to Divorce

People who resist the temptation to have an affair may still decide to end their marriages. A Kane County divorce attorney at Goostree Law Group can discuss your divorce options and what to expect from the process. Schedule a free consultation by calling 630-584-4800.

Source:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/clear-communication/201706/texting-may-destroy-your-marriage