Addiction is an unfortunate reality for many people across Colorado and the rest of the country. While addiction to alcohol, drugs or even something like gambling, can have serious negative effects on the person with the addiction, it also often spills over into the family as well. When issues with addiction are ongoing or create a great deal of stress in the family, it may bring the relationship to an end. Divorcing when one party has issues with addiction can make an already difficult situation even more challenging.
When addiction has been a factor in a relationship, it’s common for there to be other issues, including infidelity, domestic violence or generally dangerous and irresponsible behavior. This may include things such as leaving young children home alone unsupervised or being under the influence of alcohol or drugs while caring for the children. It’s important to understand that any and all of these accompanying issues are likely to come up in the divorce proceedings.
Divorcing someone who is dealing with an addiction carries unique challenges in that many people have difficulties coming to the decision to divorce in the first place. It can be very easy to blame any negative behaviors on the addiction instead of the person.
While this may be accurate in some situations, it’s important to understand that you cannot force an addict to get help or change their behavior. Sometimes, for the safety of the rest of the family, particularly if there are children involved, divorce may be the only option. At The Offices of Keane Law, we understand the complexity of these cases and work to serve your individual needs and interests.
