The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that a spouse who commits adultery is still entitled to an equal share of any assets acquired during the marriage. Infidelity is not a “special circumstance” that would change the manner in which assets are divided, the judges ruled.
The ruling was made regarding a case in which a man who divorced his wife several years ago. The man said his wife had cheated on him, thus forcing the divorce.
A rabbinic court ruled in favor of the husband, saying the wife's adultery had forced the husband to take on the cost of leaving her and creating a new family, and therefore he should enjoy a higher percent of the assets. The Supreme Court overturned the rabbinic court's ruling following an appeal from the wife.