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Financial infidelity can make divorce difficult

Apr 30, 2019 | Divorce, Firm News

Financial troubles can be a significant point of stress for anyone in West Virginia, and at some point in their relationships most couples will argue over money. But how can couples differentiate between normal financial stressors and something more? Sometimes people do not realize that their significant others have a money disorder until years or even decades into their relationship, or until they file for divorce.

A Northwestern Mutual study found that money is the most common cause of stress for 44% of all adults. Money contributes to more feelings of stress than work or personal relationships, and over 24% of study participants said that financial worries caused them to feel depressed at least once a month. For some people, this is just a normal response to an extremely stressful financial position. For others, it is an actual disorder.

A person married to an individual with a money disorder might notice that the partner has financial behaviors that are self-destructive. These destructive financial habits can lead to significant impairments in terms of relationships, work and even health. These habits sometimes manifest as compulsive spending, hoarding, pathological gambling or even becoming a workaholic. Financial infidelity is also a serious problem in marriage as it involves either withholding or giving fake financial information to a partner. A CreditCards survey found that 19% of adults in a relationship hide some form of financial account from their partners.

Financial infidelity is a serious and widespread problem that some people in West Virginia might not even be aware of. This can have serious consequences in terms of divorce, as debt incurred during a marriage is usually considered marital property. This means that it has to be split up during property division, just like other types of property. Those who are feeling overwhelmed by these types of financial troubles during divorce may want to consider speaking with an experienced family law attorney.