If you are a stay-at-home mom or businessman in Connecticut undergoing the sundering of your relationship with your spouse, you are not alone. Even though the U.S. Census Bureau reports that overall national divorce rates have dropped between 2009 and 2019, the end of a legal union is not uncommon. The government agency found that 6.8 out of every 1,000 marriages in the Nutmeg State broke down in 2018.
You may be uncertain about certain aspects of divorce. Since there exists the potential for complication, there are many common misconceptions about it.
1. It does not matter if your spouse cheated
Connecticut is a no-fault state. This means you do not have to prove your soon-to-be-former partner did something wrong to obtain a divorce. Asset division is also unaffected by adultery except for cases where shared money was to support the illicit dalliance. However, this does not mean infidelity has no impact on the outcome. It may affect alimony.
2. The procedure is long and costly
There is this idea that the dissolution of a marriage has to be a long, drawn-out battle that does not end until your funds are completely drained. This is not true. Divorces do not have to go to litigation. There are peaceful options like mediation.
3. Equitable means the same as equal
The state’s courts follow an equitable distribution policy, meaning when they split marital property they do so based on fairness. This is not equivalent to equality. As a result, you and your soon-to-be-ex may not each receive exactly 50% of your combined estate.
Divorce laws differ by state. There are also various factors that may make the whole affair complex. This leads to myths about it.