PA Divorce Laws iN Pittsburgh and Allegheny County
 : Adultery

Finding out that you have been cheated on by your spouse is surely devastating, and it may have made you decide that you can no longer continue on in the marriage.

Conversely, if you have been caught or accused of adultery and suspect that divorce is on the horizon, you may be wondering how your actions are going to impact your divorce proceedings. Below, we go into greater detail about what the grounds are for divorce in Pennsylvania, how this is relevant to cases of adultery, and whether allegations of cheating can affect your divorce.

Understanding PA Grounds for Divorce

When you are seeking a divorce in Pennsylvania, you need to have grounds, which can be fault-based or no-fault–based. Most individuals who want to be divorced quickly and save time and money will pursue a no-fault divorce, where both spouses agree that their marriage has irretrievably broken down.

However, in cases where one spouse has committed adultery, a fault-based divorce can be sought, asserting that the cheating spouse has made remaining in the marriage intolerable.

When Adultery May Make a Difference in Your Divorce Settlement

While cheating can surely damage and/or destroy a marriage, the fact that one spouse was adulterous has little bearing on the outcome of a Pennsylvania divorce. In fact, adultery has no influence on the PA equitable distribution process and little impact on the implementation of an alimony order, though it can have some effect in this area, should it come to that.

For these reasons, if you know that your marriage is over due to adultery, it would more than likely be in your best interests to pursue a no-fault divorce and have your divorce proceedings finalized in a timely manner. Of course, if after reviewing the circumstances of your case, your attorney believes that pursuing a fault-based divorce is necessary, we will advise you accordingly.