With complicated and serious issues like child support and alimony, there are many factors at the time of divorce that go into making these crucial decisions. And if one of the parties cohabitates after divorce, it can require significant adjustments to the divorce agreements, including the alimony payments.
Cowan Investigations, the leading private investigators in Middlesex County, NJ, understands that a cohabitating ex-spouse is not only a serious matter, but it can also have a tremendous financial impact as well. Here’s what you need to know if you suspect your ex-spouse may be cohabitating, and how we can help:
Defining Cohabitation
In the state of New Jersey, a couple doesn’t actually need to be living together full-time for it to be considered cohabitation in a court of law. In fact, there are a host of reasons why the courts might consider a couple to be cohabitating, including evidence of:
- Sharing living expenses
- Cooperating on household duties
- Shared finances, like a joint bank account
- The frequency of contact between the two parties
- Duration of the relationship
- A recognition by family and friends of the relationship
Through discrete undercover operations, surveillance, home checks, and even a comprehensive social media investigation, Cowan Investigations can help to obtain the necessary evidence if an ex-spouse is cohabitating.
What Cohabitation Means for Alimony Settlements
Cohabitation can greatly alter the obligation of paying alimony. If a court of law determines that cohabitation is taking place on the part of the ex-spouse receiving payment, there’s a good chance there will be a modification to the alimony agreement. This can include anything from a reduction, to complete termination.
In this situation, the ex-spouse who pays alimony will need to file a motion and request to have a hearing before a judge. The judge’s decision is generally subjective and based on their examination of the evidence provided to them.
While the receiving ex-spouse will typically deny the accusations, having a professional, like Cowan Investigations, can help to establish and prove patterns of cohabitation activity and other critical evidence that can considerably affect an alimony agreement.
For more information on cohabitation investigations in, or to contact an effective and trusted private investigator in NJ counties like Mercer, Bergen, Monmouth, or Middlesex, please call 732 837 8444 today.
