Financial infidelity is a serious issue that can hurt any interpersonal relationship. A significant percentage of marriages have been negatively impacted by this issue, and some have ended in divorce.
Here is what to know about financial infidelity and divorce:
What is it?
Financial infidelity in marriage occurs when one spouse intentionally hides financial information from the other. For instance, when one hides their income, assets or debts.
Hiding a money-related unhealthy behavior, such as gambling, excessive spending and extreme saving, can also be considered financial infidelity.
How can one notice it?
It’s not uncommon for people to be married for years before noticing their spouse is lying about money, especially in this age when bills don’t need to be mailed – they can be sent via email. Nonetheless, some signs can be indicative of financial infidelity. Examples include:
- Getting defensive during money conversations. A spouse hiding financial information may get defensive when money is brought up. They may refuse to address certain topics because they believe they may be found out
- Unaccounted cash withdrawals or charges from joint accounts
- Constantly providing incomplete or misleading details about money
If your spouse exhibits any of these signs, among other suspicious ones, they may not be honest with you about their finances.
How does it affect a marriage?
Financial infidelity can lead to a loss of trust in a marriage. The party lied to may believe their spouse is hiding details about other matters in their marriage – if they lied about their income, what else are they lying about?
Such trust issues can hurt a relationship to an irreconcilable level.
If you have decided to get a divorce because your spouse hid financial information from you, get adequate information to know the steps to follow.