One of the biggest news stories in the past few weeks has been the unfolding story of the hack of Ashley Madison. Ashley Madison is a site on which married individuals can find someone with which they can have an affair. Though adultery is not illegal, it is typically regarded as a terrible act. With the hack, about 37 million people have been exposed as cheaters, including many in Massachusetts. Briefly, a group called The Impact Team threatened to publish the data they had gathered by hacking Ashley Madison unless changes were made. Specifically, they wanted the site to disable the “full delete” feature, which allows users to wipe away any trace of their presence on the site. Ashley Madison refused, and the data was released for public consumption. As such, many couples in Massachusetts will likely be looking for a divorce in the next few months as their partner is exposed is a cheater. It is important to understand exactly how adultery plays into the divorce process, especially when it comes to dividing assets. In essence, adultery is a valid reason to grant a divorce in Massachusetts. But, it has no bearing on dividing marital property. The only exception is if the unfaithful partner spend large amounts of marital money on the affair. Otherwise, the infidelity is disregarded. Anyone who is considering a divorce due to adultery or any other reason may benefit from speaking with an attorney. A divorce lawyer may be able to provide in-depth information and

In a Massachusetts divorce proceeding, property is divided equitably, based on each partner’s income and other factors. One piece of property is often overlooked, though: your pets. Of course, thinking of your pets as property may feel as terrible as putting your children in the same category. They are part of the family, after all. The courts understand this, and have created a sort of mixture of property division and custody when it comes to your dog, cat or other animal. If one partner does not want to give up the pet, it is possible to create a sort of co-ownership, including visitation rights and other aspects. But, just like in a co-parenting scenario, a co-ownership means both parties are equally responsible for buying food, providing healthcare and the like for your pet. But if one partner wants total ownership, things can get a bit tricky. It often comes down to separate versus communal / marital property. If the couple bought the animal together, this is often grounds enough for co-ownership. However, if one spouse brought the pet into the marriage, or received it as a gift, it could be argued that it is separate property and therefore not subject to shared rights. The “gift” aspect is often the most complicated, as it could be implied that one spouse bought it for the other with the notion that it would become marital property. Like any other kind of property division dispute, pet ownership can be complex. As such, it can