I'm Still Legally Married But Want To Move In With My Boyfriend In New Port Richey. Will That Affect My Divorce or Child Support?

Legally speaking, you are permitted to move in with a new partner even before your divorce is final. Whether you should do that or not though is another matter. Normally, it’s best to wait on that until after the divorce is final.

One reason not to move in with a partner is it will reduce your odds of receiving alimony, or will reduce the amount you receive. Under Florida law, if a person is living with someone in a “supportive relationship”, alimony can be reduced.

If you move in with your new partner before your divorce is final, the court may find that you have less of a need for alimony. However, if you wait until after the divorce is final and then choose to cohabitate, the alimony could be reduced at that time anyway.

If you choose to live with someone else during your divorce, that will not affect your child support award at all. Child support is based on the incomes of both parents, the number of children involved, who has primary custody of the kids, and a few other factors. Living with a partner is not taken into account in the child support calculation.

One big reason not to move in with your boyfriend or girlfriend during the divorce process is that if minor children are involved, this new arrangement can be very tough on them. The kids will likely be confused and upset with the situation during an already tough time in their lives.

If you are going through a divorce, it’s likely that your financial situation is worse than before the divorce, and moving in with a partner may sound financially appealing. However, it’s best to hold off as long as possible, preferably until after the divorce is final.