Abstract
Despite widespread adoption of no-fault divorce, many U.S. states still consider adultery in the allocation of alimony and property. In sixteen of those states, adultery remains a criminal offense—enabling spouses accused of infidelity to invoke the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination during divorce proceedings. This Article explores how such invocations obstruct discovery, delay litigation, and create strategic advantages for wealthier or culpable spouses, especially in fault-based or hybrid divorce regimes. After surveying the historical development of divorce law and the expansion of Fifth Amendment protections into civil contexts, the Article critiques current remedies—adverse inferences, implied waivers, and immunity—as ineffective or impractical. It argues for a proactive procedural solution: mandatory early-stage judicial inquiry into privilege claims and the application of precise adverse inferences tied to the scope of questioning. This approach, the Article contends, would mitigate inequity and restore fairness to divorce proceedings impacted by outdated adultery statutes.
Recommended Citation
Elizabeth I. Boals,
Cheating with the Fifth Amendment: Weaponizing the Fifth Amendment Privilege to Undermine Equitable Dissolution of Marriages,
58 Loy. L.A. L. Rev. 363
().
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/llr/vol58/iss2/1
