Last week, the profiles of over 37,890,000 members of AshleyMadison.com — a "dating" site mainly for those looking to cheat on their spouses — were compromised when hackers broke into the site's system and stole those identities. While they have yet to unload the data publicly — they've instead been sold to the highest bidder on the 'dark' web, an even more unregulated area of the internet — there are people out there wondering how and when they'll deal with the repercussions of their online philandering when it does come out.
However, ironically enough, the hack may not be silver bullet many spouses might have hoped for. That's because many states have no-fault divorce proceedings, meaning that judges don't care if a spouse has a wandering eye. They just look it at is another couple whose relationship didn't work out.
New York City divorce attorney Morghan Richardson told Forbes that there only a few boons to divorcees who are looking to leverage this, or any other film evidence of indiscretion.
• You might be able to have more say over your custody or visitation arrangement if you can prove your spouse was bringing a lover around the kids, or spending time flirting online with potential hookups while with the children.
• If a prenup specifies steeper financial payouts in the event of infidelity. Serial cheater Tiger Woods's prenuptial agreement contained such a clause.
• If proof of an affair can be used to damage the soon-to-be-ex-spouse's personal or professional reputation.
For more:
Ashley Madison Hack Would Mean 'Boon for Divorce Lawyers and Marriage Therapists' (Forbes)
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