Email Snooping During Michigan Divorce Leads to Felony Charges
Accusations of infidelity, suspicions about hidden assets or allegations of domestic abuse can lead to protracted divorce litigation in which one or both spouses must aggressively protect his or her interests.
August 17, 2012
When one or both spouses reach the point at which they know that divorce is inevitable, they may not agree on the details or motives. Accusations of infidelity, suspicions about hidden assets or allegations of domestic abuse can lead to protracted divorce litigation in which one or both spouses must aggressively protect his or her interests.Michigan media outlets recently reported on a Rochester Hills couple's attempts to read each other's private emails and text messages. After Oakland County prosecutors investigated allegations that the husband had accessed his wife's email account to see if she was cheating on him, he was charged with a felony under Michigan's computer hacking statute.
The charge was dropped when evidence emerged in the couple's divorce that the wife admitted to reading text messages on the husband's smart phone while they were still married. Prosecutors stated, however, that they would proceed with a separate felony charge involving allegations that the husband attempted to hack into a state law enforcement database to learn if similar charges of email snooping against a spouse had ever been pursued.
Most spouses consider only the civil law consequences of a divorce, such as determinations of custody, support and division of their assets. However, when emotions run high and conflicts escalate, husbands and wives must also consider that anything, from a momentary loss of temper to a scheme to get revenge, can lead to further brushes with the law.
Acting with full understanding of the legal boundaries and potential ramifications is but one of the benefits of working with an experienced divorce lawyer. A family law attorney can inform a client about his or her right to review relevant financial information or investigate suspicions about a spouse's activities, but will do so while abiding by laws and statutes.
Of course, not all divorces are resolved by hammering out compromises before a family court judge. Clients who are interested in flat-fee, uncontested divorce options or alternative dispute resolution methods, such as mediation and collaborative divorce can learn more from a family law firm with extensive experience resolving divorce issues outside of the courtroom.
Article provided by Velzen, Johnsen & Wikander, P.C.
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