Many people expect that the court will find some way to punish the behavior of the spouse who committed adultery, or the spouse who was cold and cruel.

However, this usually does not happen.

In most states, the courts view divorce primarily as an economic proposition.

A court may penalize a violent or abusive spouse in the financial settlement. And abusive spouses are less likely to be awarded custody.

But any betrayals your spouse commits tend to have only a minor impact, if any, on the property settlement or alimony amount.

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