In Georgia, the term “cohabitation” occurs when your ex starts living with someone else. After a divorce in Georgia, cohabitation may allow you to modify your alimony. The logic is that if your ex has become financially dependent on someone else, they no longer need your spousal support payments. How exactly do you prove cohabitation in this situation? What kind of evidence do you need? These are questions you might want to explore with an experienced alimony modification lawyer in Georgia.
Social Media Evidence for Cohabitation
If you want to prove that your ex is living with a new romantic partner, social media evidence is an obvious starting point. People are often willing to share surprisingly intimate details of their lives on social media, and your ex’s profile might be completely public. There is nothing illegal about browsing their posts and identifying potential evidence of cohabitation.
For example, you might see a post on your ex’s profile that shows them moving into their new partner’s home. Maybe you have been monitoring their posts for a while, and you have noticed that they are living in a new residence. You might want to keep a particularly close eye on any posts that imply financial interdependence. For example, you might see a post that shows the pair shopping for groceries together.
Once you identify this evidence, you can screenshot it and save copies. Be sure to send a copy to your lawyer. Don’t assume that this evidence will be around permanently, as your ex could always delete it later. They might also block your account, preventing you from viewing their posts.
Using Private Investigators to Collect Evidence
If social media evidence is inconclusive, you could always rely on a private investigator to gather more information. An investigator could legally take photographs of your ex in public, follow their movements, and take other steps to “paint the picture” of cohabitation.
Finding Joint Addresses
Under certain circumstances, it may be possible to gather evidence that suggests your ex and their new partner are using the same address. If this is the case, then the implication is that they are cohabiting. Some of these records may exist in public databases, and they may be relatively easy to find.
How to Leverage Cohabitation Evidence
Once you find evidence of cohabitation, going to court might be unnecessary. You could always confront your ex with the evidence that you have discovered and convince them to voluntarily forfeit any further right to alimony. This saves everyone from a long and pointless court process, and it allows you to move on relatively easily.
Can an Alimony Modification Lawyer Help Me?
If you want to modify your alimony in Georgia, cohabitation could give you the right to file a valid petition. That said, cohabitation is only one example of when it might be possible to lower or eliminate your spousal support payments. For further guidance on this topic, consider contacting Lankford & Moore Law today.
