Alcoholism and drug addiction are common problems for many people in West Virginia and the rest of the country. Being married to someone who abuses alcohol and is not in recovery can be a nightmare for you and your family. Similarly, it can affect the course of your divorce process.
Alcoholism and marriage
When your spouse is a substance abuser and refuses to get help, your best course of action might be to get a divorce to protect yourself and your children, if you have any. You may feel alone, depressed and hopeless because addiction takes their attention from the family and diverts it to the bottle. Even worse, they can hurt you if they get aggressive or violent, both physically and psychologically, after drinking.
Divorcing an alcoholic
Divorcing an alcoholic is often a challenging decision to make. Part of you cares so much and hopes that someday they will change and become available, while another part of you knows that if they cared enough for you to change their ways, they would have done so already. If you have kids, you may want both parents in their lives, but at the same time, you know that an alcoholic is a danger to them.
The good thing about a divorce is that it can make your life better. The court can help set you free from the abuser, and it may demand that the parent must be clean when spending time with the children.
Divorce in West Virginia
West Virginia allows both fault and no-fault divorces. This means that you can get a divorce on the grounds that your partner is an alcoholic or by stating that you have irreconcilable differences. Going for fault grounds, in this instance, is your best option.
If you are divorcing your spouse on alcoholism or drug abuse grounds, you will need to prove it. Though it may seem like a daunting task, it will help you in your custody agreement because the court insists on protecting the child’s best interests. It can also impact the judge’s decision on property division and alimony.
Living with an alcoholic makes life very difficult. If your partner refuses to change their ways, you may need to protect yourself and your family by getting a divorce.