It’s typically a good idea to wait until your divorce is final before you begin dating, although legally it may not affect your divorce case a great deal. Florida is a no-fault state, so if you date after the divorce papers are filed, it won’t affect the legal outcome of your case typically.
However, if you choose to spend a lot of marital money on a boyfriend or girlfriend, the court may award the same amount to your spouse in the divorce proceedings.
Some people feel that dating during the divorce can affect your divorce strategy. Experts have shown that usually during the divorce process your spouse wants to make sure that you are as miserable as he or she is. If you are dating and happy, your spouse may decide that you need to be punished in other ways, and may try to drag out the case by refusing to negotiate. Therefore, it’s typically better to wait to parade that new boyfriend or girlfriend around after the divorce is final.
Also, if children are involved, it’s typically better to wait until the divorce is final. You will want to maintain a pleasant relationship with your spouse through the divorce for the sake of your kids. Dating during a divorce can strongly negatively affect that relationship, as well as possibly upsetting your children, who are probably still dealing with their emotions about the divorce. Your spouse may bring up the new relationship in the divorce as evidence of why he or she should get more time with the children. The new boyfriend or girlfriend may also be scrutinized during the custody case.
It’s also a very bad idea to live with a boyfriend or girlfriend before the divorce is final. That fact could greatly impact your alimony award. You will not be seen as needing as much support because you have someone with whom to share expenses. If you were to break up later, and you needed alimony adjusted as a result, that would involve another trip to divorce court in Pasco County or Hernando County.
Finally, you probably are not emotionally ready to deal with a new relationship. There are issues involved that caused your divorce, and it may be best to deal with those as well as to make peace with the fact that the marriage is over. Although an ego boost in the form of a new boyfriend or girlfriend during a divorce is understandable, it’s better to wait until the divorce is finalized.