by Chris Palmer
The typical scenario when a spouse learns that the other has done something that destroys the marriage is that the innocent spouse meets with a lawyer, who guides the spouse through the divorce process. Occasionally, though, you find that while listening to the “outrage” that a client expresses over learning that their spouse has had an affair you also learn that your “innocent” client has also been having an affair. So what do you do if a client wants a divorce but both spouses are committing adultery? An agreed resolution on the ground of Irreconcilable Differences would be the preferable outcome, but litigation may be the only option in some circumstances.
The Mississippi Supreme Court recently addressed a similar scenario in Jenkins v. Jenkins. In Jenkins, the court was faced with a situation where the lower court granted a person a divorce on the ground of Habitual, Cruel and Inhuman Treatment. The guilty spouse tried to defend the charge by claiming the defense of “recrimination”, which is a common-law defense that states if each party proves a fault ground for divorce then neither is entitled to a divorce. The defense of recrimination has been altered by Miss. Code Ann. 93-5-3, which allows a court to grant a divorce, even if both parties prove a fault ground for divorce, by determining which spouse’s actions constituted the proximate cause of the destruction of the marriage. The Mississippi Supreme Court determined that although the wife admitted committing adultery, the trial evidence showed that the husband’s habitual, cruel and inhuman treatment was the cause of the divorce, not the wife’s adultery, and that the lower court properly denied the husband’s recrimination defense.
Although a scenario where both parties are committing actions that constitute divorce grounds is not the preferable situation, a spouse may still be able to obtain a divorce without his/her spouse’s consent if the facts are supportive. If you find yourself in this situation, speaking with an attorney to help analyze the proximate cause of the destruction of the marriage very early on is vital.
