Trust is one of the major cornerstones of a solid marriage. Anything that breaks that trust can lead to serio marital discord – or even divorce.
While most people think of “infidelity” as a kind of romantic or sexual betrayal, financial infidelity is another form of deceit that can drastically undermine your relationship.
What is financial infidelity?
Financial infidelity is any kind of dishonest behavior involving finances. It can manifest in numerous different ways, including:
- Opening credit card accounts and running up hidden debts
- Putting money or other valuables in a secret safe deposit box or safe
- Hiding real estate purchases or other assets in a trust or a shell company’s name
- Emptying the family’s savings for a “dream project” or purchase on a whim
- Making major financial decisions, like getting a loan, without consulting a spouse
- Engaging in secret investments without their spouse’s consent
- Hiding income, such as bonuses and pay raises, from a spouse
- Gambling or using household money to fund another addiction
Essentially, none of these things is illegal, but they may all break the financial agreements and covenants you and your spouse have. You have a right to feel betrayed. Their behavior has the potential to put your entire family’s financial security in danger.
What are the signs of financial infidelity?
Spotting financial infidelity isn’t always easy, but there are some clues that it’s happening. If your spouse is suddenly anxious to get to the mail before you, that’s a good clue that they’re waiting on financial statements they don’t want you to see. Similarly, if they keep “finding” money to spend on hobbies or other ventures or your bank accounts are always low despite not having anything to show for your losses, you should be asking questions.
It can be very difficult to put a marriage back on track after any kind of infidelity, and that makes it only prudent to learn more about your divorce options.