Emotional Affair

[Satchmo]

What is the name of your state? Michigan

I do not have a specific "situational" question as much as I just would like to ignite some discussion and hear different points of view from this throbbing brain of "Oustanding Advice. Unbeatable Price." That being said, Michigan specific thoughts, answers, observations are much appreciated, but all points of view and geography are welcomed as well.

If you were representing a person, how would an alleged "emotional" affair affect the case if at all?

If you were representing the person who allegedly committed the "emotional" affair, how would you advise your client?

Is there any instance, where "emotional" affairs have been deemed on par with (sigh) garden variety adultery?What is the name of your state?

 

[LdiJ]

What is the name of your state? Michigan

I do not have a specific "situational" question as much as I just would like to ignite some discussion and hear different points of view from this throbbing brain of "Oustanding Advice. Unbeatable Price." That being said, Michigan specific thoughts, answers, observations are much appreciated, but all points of view and geography are welcomed as well.

If you were representing a person, how would an alleged "emotional" affair affect the case if at all?

If you were representing the person who allegedly committed the "emotional" affair, how would you advise your client?

Is there any instance, where "emotional" affairs have been deemed on par with (sigh) garden variety adultery?What is the name of your state?

I don't think that adultery impacts divorce in MI at all...so its probably a moot point.

 

[tranquility]

The term "emotional affair" is too subjective to have any meaning. If I'm driving and come to a stop sign, look to my left and to the right and then left again, if there is another driver who happens to be a woman and my wife feels my eyes lingered longer than she felt it necessary to determine if that vehicle was going to enter the intersection or not, I have just committed an "emotional affair." She hasn't sued me, yet; but makes me pay nonetheless.

(The lingering time required for violation is inversely related to how my wife subjectively assesses the woman's attractiveness. A grandmother who recently had her nose removed in an industrial accident can be looked at far longer than a college cheearleader who happens to be changing her sports bra at the intersection on her way the the game. The former [absent unusually large breasts] can have my attention for many seconds before violation, while the latter decreases the time asymptopically to zero. Not all the way to zero, as intentionally *not* looking is a violation too.)

 

[Satchmo]

I don't think that adultery impacts divorce in MI at all...so its probably a moot point.

You are correct. Michigan law speaks to a breakdown of marriage. Is the breakdown further exascerbated by an emotional affair so much that you could potentially advise a client that this alleged outside marriage act entitles them to much more than half?

 

[seniorjudge]

You are correct. Michigan law speaks to a breakdown of marriage. Is the breakdown further exascerbated by an emotional affair so much that you could potentially advise a client that this alleged outside marriage act entitles them to much more than half?

Do you know what "moot point" means?

 

[Satchmo]

Do you know what "moot point" means?

I thought it said moo point...I was wondering how cows had anything to do with this.

 

[Silverplum]

I thought it said moo point...I was wondering how cows had anything to do with this.

No, Joey.

 

[tranquility]

Is the breakdown further exascerbated by an emotional affair so much that you could potentially advise a client that this alleged outside marriage act entitles them to much more than half?

I tried to make a joke to show how silly the "emotional affair" (EA) issue is, now let's center back into reality. Define the term.

Now apply the definition to the question(s):
-Can I have an EA with my opposite sex friend?
-" " same sex friend if I'm straight? What if I'm not sure?
-Can I have an EA with my dog? With my job? With my TV? With a sporting team?
-Can I have an EA with Oprah or Dr. Phil, even though we've never met in person, just each day at noon? (Or, whenever.)
-Can I have an EA with my father, mother, sister, brother?
-Can I have an EA with my church, with God?
-Can I have an EA with my divorce attorney who is only acting as my divorce attorney?
-Can I have an EA with a person who is not having an EA back?

Irrespective on how you define emotional affair, don't all failed marriages have a transferrence of affection away from the spouse to another person as some point? If we open things up to this argument, where will it end? Can you imagine each party in a divorce arguing all the things which have taken the emotional connection, which was rightfully theirs, away from them? My goodness talk about an ugly mess. At what point would a judge find the EA irrelevant if he has let evidence in of five other EAs?

Let's say we do get something in along those lines, wouldn't we have to prove there is a loss to the complaining spouse? Just because I tell my secrets to stripper Jasmine, does not mean that if Jazzy were not in my life I would be telling them to my wife. We'd have to start proving up the connection at date of marriage and then calculate the amount that has been lost to the emotional affair.

 

[Satchmo]

I tried to make a joke to show how silly the "emotional affair" (EA) issue is, now let's center back into reality. Define the term.

Now apply the definition to the question(s):
-Can I have an EA with my opposite sex friend?
-" " same sex friend if I'm straight? What if I'm not sure?
-Can I have an EA with my dog? With my job? With my TV? With a sporting team?
-Can I have an EA with Oprah or Dr. Phil, even though we've never met in person, just each day at noon? (Or, whenever.)
-Can I have an EA with my father, mother, sister, brother?
-Can I have an EA with my church, with God?
-Can I have an EA with my divorce attorney who is only acting as my divorce attorney?
-Can I have an EA with a person who is not having an EA back?

Irrespective on how you define emotional affair, don't all failed marriages have a transferrence of affection away from the spouse to another person as some point? If we open things up to this argument, where will it end? Can you imagine each party in a divorce arguing all the things which have taken the emotional connection, which was rightfully theirs, away from them? My goodness talk about an ugly mess. At what point would a judge find the EA irrelevant if he has let evidence in of five other EAs?

Let's say we do get something in along those lines, wouldn't we have to prove there is a loss to the complaining spouse? Just because I tell my secrets to stripper Jasmine, does not mean that if Jazzy were not in my life I would be telling them to my wife. We'd have to start proving up the connection at date of marriage and then calculate the amount that has been lost to the emotional affair.

Alright. Now it's a moot point. Thanks for the insight. I do agree that it would be an absolute nightmare to entertain the EA argument. Your joke in the first post did not go unnoticed. I chuckled...and I remembered the "whoa" I said as the television flashed pictures of the USC Cheerleaders during the game last saturday. Guess I'm guilty. I'll be guilty again when I watch the Victoria Secret Fashion Show Tonight.