It can be difficult to trust your spouse when you are in the middle of a divorce. Maybe you think they have been unfaithful to you, or maybe you are concerned that they are attempting to hide assets from you. One way that you might try to handle this distrust is by spying on your spouse.
While there may be benefits to spying on your spouse, it can also cause harm. That harm can potentially outweigh those benefits. You should be aware of these risks before choosing to spy on a spouse.
Crossing the Line to Criminal Activity
There is nothing illegal about asking your friends whether they have evidence that your spouse is being unfaithful or checking joint bank records to look for suspicious financial activity. However, if you check a private account that belongs to your spouse, you could be breaking the law.
Before you perform any type of spying on your spouse, you should consult with an experienced divorce attorney to ensure that your activities aren’t criminal. It isn’t worth getting arrested just to try to improve your financial position after a divorce.
Hiring a Professional Can Be Costly
The easiest way to spy on your spouse is to hire a private investigator. Unfortunately, private investigators are not cheap. Most private investigators cost several hundred dollars an hour and make you pay for all expenses. You are likely to spend tens of thousands of dollars to get useful information.
This is only worth it if the information discovered by the investigator can be used to recoup those costs during divorce proceedings. Unless your spouse is particularly wealthy and also doing something shady, this will probably just be lost money.
You Might Anger Your Spouse
Just because you don’t trust your spouse, that doesn’t mean that they are doing anything wrong. If they discover that you have been spying on them, that is likely to create great animosity.
This could turn an otherwise agreeable divorce into a full-blown slugfest, where your spouse fights you at every turn. Typically, the longer a divorce takes, the more it costs both parties. You need to consider whether any information you get from spying on your spouse is worth the potential cost of a drawn-out and costly divorce.
The Court Might Look Badly on Evidence of Spying
If your case ends up in court, you need to consider how the court will respond to evidence of you spying on your spouse. While the court might be sympathetic if your spying turned up malfeasance or unfaithfulness, it may be less forgiving if it turns up nothing.
Some judges might side more with your spouse if the evidence shows no malfeasance on their part while you were spying on them. This could result in your spying earning you a smaller distribution than you otherwise would have gotten in the divorce.
Contact Gucciardo Family Law Today
If you suspect that your spouse is hiding money or has been unfaithful, talk to our attorneys right away. Our lawyers will help you investigate in a way that mitigates risks. Contact us today to schedule your initial consultation.
