Alcoholism has a negative affect on many marriages. Being married to an alcoholic often puts a major strain on a marriage and results in various problems.
Declining health, medical issues and financial woes are some of the problems experienced in a marriage involving an alcoholic spouse. In some cases, addiction to alcohol can lead to criminal charges, such as driving while drunk or domestic violence.
Additionally, alcoholics sometimes try to downplay or hide their addiction. Secretive behavior that leads to broken promises, lack of trust and neglect of family often erodes the foundation of a marriage.
It is no surprise that marriages involving a spouse with alcoholism often result in divorce. If you are married to an alcoholic, perhaps you have tried to help them with their addiction over the years, but eventually decide that you have had enough and it is time to end the marriage.
Divorce is challenging on its own, but when an addiction such as alcoholism is a factor, the process becomes even more difficult. Your spouse’s alcohol addiction can affect many aspects of your divorce, especially if you have children together.
Divorcing an alcoholic spouse requires careful planning and strategy
Washington is a no-fault divorce state, meaning that you do not need to prove certain grounds to obtain a divorce. You may declare that your marriage is irretrievably broken, which means there is no reasonable prospect of reconciliation.
Therefore, you do not need to prove your spouse is an alcoholic to be able to end your marriage. However, evidence of your spouse’s alcoholism might be necessary if you are trying to obtain primary custody or prove that you should receive a higher share of marital assets.
Evidence that an alcoholic spouse has mismanaged marital assets or finances could influence marital property division.
When it comes to marital property division, your spouse’s alcoholism is not necessarily a factor a court considers without evidence that alcoholism has caused them to mismanage or waste marital assets.
A spouse’s conduct or behavior typically has no influence on the outcome of property division, which is often nothing more than a math problem to be solved. But a court will examine whether a spouse’s alcoholism negatively impacted a couple’s finances.
You can not only use this to argue for a higher share of the marital assets, but you can also potentially use it to request spousal maintenance.
In terms of custody, courts use a best interest of the child standard when making child custody decisions and may have concerns over a parent’s alcohol abuse.
Gathering evidence to prove alcohol addiction
Examples of evidence that you can use to prove your spouse’s alcoholism include bank statements or receipts showing frequent alcohol purchases.
You can also start documenting your spouse’s behavior. Write down dates and times that they are under the influence of alcohol and document their behavior. If their behavior becomes abusive and threatens the safety of you or your children, a protective order could ensure your safety.
Divorcing an alcoholic spouse is legally and emotionally challenging. No matter the outcome of your divorce, your post-divorce life will likely involve healing and navigating the trauma of your marriage. It is important to prioritize self-care post-divorce as you begin to move forward.