If you're in the midst of a divorce and just found out or suspect that your former spouse is now living with someone, this can have a dramatic effect on the divorce settlement, including custody, child support, and even alimony. Before you sign the papers or go into court, make sure that you can prove that he or she is living with someone. Here are some tips to help you do just that.

Surveillance Evidence

The best place to start with this type of situation is with routine surveillance. This will allow you to document evidence of cohabitation. Whether you do it yourself or you hire a private investigator, you'll need to have pictures of your ex's car at the other residence to prove that he or she is staying there. You'll want photos that are date- and time-stamped to show that he or she has been there on many consecutive nights. If you can get pictures of your ex as well, that's also helpful. If it's someone that's moved in with your ex, get the same photos of the other person. If you hire a private investigator to do this part, that also gives you a witness in court if you need one.

Identify The Individual In Question

Once you've got proof that your ex is living with someone, you'll need to identify who that person is. You can search public records if your ex is staying at their property. The public tax records for homeowners will provide you with the owner on record. Otherwise, you may need to have your private investigator determine who the individual is. This is important because you don't want to have your ex try to claim that he or she is staying with a family member if you can prove otherwise.

Consider The Benefits Of A Background Check

A comprehensive background check on your former spouse can help you to identify the address where he or she is living. Most background checks will provide you with the current address where the person is residing. You might even be able to run background checks on both parties, which would give you even further documentation for the courts.

In addition, this type of check may give you the evidence you need to show that your ex is splitting bills with this person. While splitting bills alone doesn't confirm cohabitation, it could potentially affect the financial affidavits filed with the courts. Since these are used to determine alimony and child support payments, any misleading information will be taken seriously by the court.

Contact a divorce attorney for additional information.

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