Problems arise in all marriages, and even the good ones can result in painful realizations of disloyalty, separation or divorce. While Michigan is a total no-fault divorce state, few people realize that cheating or adultery is a statewide felony. It’s rare to serve time for the offense in this day and age, but it can still affect your divorce outcome. After all, A spouse’s fault in the divorce cause and conduct of the spouse are two important court factors when awarding alimony. You have every right to discover the truth, but do it the smart way by following some tips from a Michigan private investigator.
Trust Your Gut
It’s one thing to have occasional concerns that your partner is bored or looking. But if that evolves to recurring concerns or paranoia, it may be time to trust your gut. According to survey results from the website “Illicit Encounters”, nearly 80% of women and 50% of men who believed their partner was cheating were correct. You could still be wrong, so don’t rush to accuse yet. But if your intuition just won’t stop screaming, it may be time to listen.
Monitor Smart Phone and Internet Behavior
Most people are attached to their phones and favorite tech devices nowadays. Living with your spouse gives you plenty of access to their behaviors. It’s one thing to play a video game or catch up with friends or coworkers during TV time. But is your spouse also bringing the phone with them as they leave the room? Are they taking it to bed or sleeping with it under their pillow? Is their phone suddenly locked or filtered so you can’t access certain apps? Is your spouse adding new messaging apps or using existing ones more often? And are text conversations locked or deleted daily? If you have access to their laptop or family desktop computer, also check the browsing history.
Track, Video and Record Your Findings
Lying is one of the main weapons in the cheater’s arsenal, along with redirection, charm, blame, and gaslighting. Once they run through their lineup of answers and excuses, it can seem like you’re losing your mind and somehow you made up the entire scenario of betrayal. Don’t trust your memory alone. It’s always best to have backup and there’s honestly no way of thoroughly proving the facts without it. Keep a notebook to write down evidence–times, dates, locations, contact names, and details involving the discretion or discovery. Once you find evidence of the adultery, take pictures. Use voice recording devices when possible. And always email copies or keep them in a safe place to access later in the event your spouse attempts to destroy the evidence.
Keep It Legal
Don’t invest in pricey apps, software, or bother attempting to hack into your spouse’s accounts to get information because those methods can be deemed inadmissible in court if it comes to that. There are fine lines between what’s acceptable and illegal when it comes to investigating a cheating spouse. Some spouses even attempt to hide assets and divide financial accounts to reduce or avoid financial responsibilities once they leave the marriage. Don’t make unnecessary mistakes that can end up biting you in the end. Instead, let our pros handle the legal end and even run a child support asset search if needed to discover hidden surprises. When you’re ready for real answers, we’re just a call away.