Marital Misconduct

Wrongful behavior that may lead to the problems or the dissolution of the marriage. When it comes to financial issues, marital misconduct is generally not taken into consideration with some exceptions: (1) the Court can refused to divde community property if one of the spouses is convicted to serve 80 years or more in prison, and (2) when one spouse commits a crime against the other spouse or a child, the Court can require the offending spouse to reimburse the other spouse for their “actual damages,” the costs the spouse actually incurred as a result of the crime. For example, if a spouse assaults the other spouse and breaks that spouse’s jaw requiring cosmetic surgery, then the offending spouse can be ordered to be 100% responsible for the costs of that cosmetic surgery.