Specialist Pursuing Positive
Outcomes to Domestic Disputes
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlett Letter, Hester Prynne was forced to wear a scarlett letter “A” for adultery on her breast. She and Pearl, the child born of her relationship with the man who was not her husband, were shunned by her neighbors.
Adultery no longer carries the stigma of old but in Louisiana it does entitle the person who was betrayed to a divorce without a waiting period. Adultery does not mandate divorce, however, it only permits it. A wronged spouse may decide to reconcile with the adulterer.
A decision to reconcile has important legal consequences. Reconciliation will prevent the wronged spouse from using the adultery for a quick divorce if he or she later has a change of heart. If your spouse has committed adultery and you are trying to decide what, if anything, to do about it, you should speak with a lawyer immediately.