Have you ever watched the 1980s hit movie The War of the Roses? If not, it may be the film to see before you decide to live with your soon-to-be former spouse during a divorce. While Hollywood takes things to the extreme, the movie shows how things can quickly go wrong.
With that being said, some divorces are amicable and both parties can still live peacefully under the same roof. So, is cohabitating during a CT divorce a good idea? There can be both ups and downs to the temporary living arrangement.
Continuing to cohabitate with your spouse during a divorce can have some potential benefits and possibly a few unintended legal consequences. Sometimes, the benefits and consequences can seem to cancel each other out, making the decision even more complicated.
If you’re considering sharing the same address as your soon-to-be former spouse, here are a few things you may want to consider. Knowing what you’re getting into ahead of time can make the divorce process go more smoothly.
Maintaining one house instead of two is significantly cheaper. Even if one spouse moves into a rental, the costs can quickly add up. Since you and your spouse are probably thinking about asset division, you probably don’t want to spend more than is absolutely necessary.
Before you and your divorcing spouse agree to share the same address, set down some rules on who pays for what. Are you dividing the household bills equally? What happens if one spouse’s income is significantly higher than the other’s?
Another possible scenario is only one spouse works and the other is responsible for childcare. Figuring out who pays for what ahead of time can make cohabitating more pleasant for everyone involved.
If divorcing partners can divide their shared assets without involving lawyers the court rarely steps in. Typically, the only time the court will adjust a potential divorce settlement is if it feels one party is being taken advantage of. Connecticut divorce law allows the court to divide marital assets as it sees fit. The law also applies to alimony amounts, along with spousal and child support.
While cohabitating with your spouse during the divorce rarely impacts child support, it’s a little different with alimony. Are you wondering what’s the difference between alimony and spousal support? The two legal terms are the same. Both refer to financial payments one spouse makes to the other to help offset their living expenses.
Living with your spouse during a divorce can result in lower spousal/alimony support payments. The court may look at the living arrangement and decide one spouse doesn’t need full financial support. If you’re wondering about cohabitation and child support, you can relax—the court rarely looks at living arrangements during a divorce to decide on child support amounts.
A divorce, even a friendly one can be tough on children. Trying to explain why the family is splitting up is never easy. Even though children can be resilient, divorce is still frightening. Cohabitating with your spouse while the divorce winds through the legal system can provide your children with a sense of stability.
Your children will see that you and your spouse can still be friendly, even though the divorce is almost finalized. You have more time to explain what life will look like as two families. Your children can even be involved in the hunt for a new residence.
However, be careful your cohabitating arrangement doesn’t build up your kids' hopes that you won’t go through with the divorce. Always communicate clearly with your children and ensure they know the living arrangements are temporary.
Divorces are rarely easy, even if you and your spouse agree it’s the best solution. You’re still closing an important chapter in your life. Even if the marriage only lasted a few years, you probably had hopes and dreams of spending your lives together. Emotionally recovering from divorce often takes time.
Allowing your spouse to stay in the house or temporarily move back in can relieve some of the financial stress. Having help paying the bills is almost always welcome, but is it worth your emotional well-being?
Before you agree to cohabitate with your spouse during the divorce, ask yourself what it may do to you emotionally. Will you get upset seeing your spouse in the kitchen every morning, thinking about the good times? Maybe it will simply make you angry that the marriage didn’t last.
Along with considering your emotional health, talk to a divorce attorney. Sometimes the complications of cohabiting aren’t worth any potential benefits.