Divorcing a spouse has become almost an American cliche: court proceedings, the splitting of property, and negotiations over child visitation. Oftentimes in this process, Courts will award alimony or spousal support to a former spouse who has been given primary responsibilities over the couple’s children. At the same time, and what many people don’t know, states have created laws that state that once a former spouse starts to live with someone else in a relationship that, for legal purposes, is like marriage, alimony no longer needs to be paid.

Tips to Prove Cohabitation

So what do you do if you suspect your former spouse is “cohabitating” with another while still collecting alimony? There are a variety of steps that you can take to gather and provide evidence to the court to prove cohabitation, thus cutting off your alimony responsibilities. There are two tactics that private investigators say you can do on your own while hiring a private investigator for the more “in-depth” work.

The first is a simple background check and social media examination. Both of these are free, relatively easy to perform, and do not force you to skirt the law (as we will see below). Many examples in courts across the country see proof of cohabitation coming from the social media accounts of their former spouses. Background checks, particularly showing where the individual is claiming their address, can also be helpful, though individuals are rarely so open about this.

The second is performing simple surveillance. Before getting into this, we need to make a note: “simple” surveillance means just that. Do not constantly follow your former spouse around, constantly watch the house, or constantly call to make sure someone is really at the home. This is stalking and is a chargeable offense.

Because that line can be thin, it is best to hire a private investigator to perform these actions if you suspect your former spouse is cohabitating. They are able to gather information for you to see if the individual is cohabitating without breaking the law.

Consult a Private Investigator

Evidence presented by you/spouse will not be admissible, because the evidence must be provided by a third-party person, which is a licensed private investigator. J.P. Investigative Group are licensed experts in cohabitation cases and finding the facts. Give us a call at 877.990.2111 or contact us for a consultation. We’d be happy to help!