A man in his 50s who insisted his wife was imagining his alleged affair was caught in an awkward coincidence: his wife’s lawyer spotted him at a concert, embracing and kissing another woman.
The couple, both in their 50s and parents, had built a life together in which the husband served as the primary breadwinner while the wife, whom I represented, worked in the arts. One day, he told her it was time to end the marriage. When she asked whether there was another woman, he denied it completely.
In a meeting at my office, he repeatedly emphasized his integrity, saying he wanted to continue taking care of his wife financially even after their separation, because, as he put it, “she is weaker than me in that area.”
For that reason, he asked that their shared property not be divided even after the divorce he had initiated. Instead, he wanted to continue managing the real estate assets they had accumulated over the years in Israel and abroad. He argued that she should trust him to keep leveraging those properties financially for the benefit of their children.
At another meeting, the question of another woman came up again. Once again, he denied it forcefully and was angry that his wife would even suggest such a thing. “My wife is delusional and is trying to portray me as unreliable,” he said, swearing, “There is no one else,” and “My integrity is above all.”
Then came the coincidence. The day after that emotionally charged negotiation meeting, I went to a concert of a well-known singer. I was happy to get out, recharge and enjoy the show from one of the front rows. During the performance, I turned around to take in the joyful crowd.
Three rows behind me was the man who “was not cheating,” hugging and kissing a woman who was not his wife. The physical closeness left little doubt about the nature of the relationship.
He looked at me in shock, still holding the woman. He understood he had been caught red-handed. I took a deep breath. So did he. It was unpleasant for both of us.
In that moment, I effectively became a potential witness in the case, and he had been caught in a blatant untruth.
The next day, my client understood she was no longer willing to rely on his “integrity,” or allow him to control her property after the divorce, on the pretense that “he understands and she does not,” as he had tried to persuade her.
I filed a request to settle the dispute, followed by a divorce claim in the rabbinical court that included a clear divorce ground of adultery. We also tied the claim to the division of the couple’s shared property, including the immediate sale of real estate in Israel and abroad, the division of accumulated rights and a request for ketubah compensation.
In the rabbinical court, he no longer denied the affair. Fortunately, I was not required to testify, which would have forced me to withdraw from representation (because a lawyer cannot serve both as counsel and witness).