Many people expect that the court will find some way to punish the behavior of the spouse who broke society's rules. However, this usually does not happen in Massachusetts. In most states, including Massachusetts, the courts view divorce primarily as an economic transaction. The courts tend to penalize violent or abusive spouses in the financial settlement. But any betrayals your spouse commits tend to have only a minor impact on the property settlement or alimony amount.
Child abuse can, of course, affect custody decisions.
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