Many people are talking about the “kiss cam” incident at a Coldplay performance, where former Astronomer CEO Andy Byron was captured on camera with the company’s former HR head. But legal experts are quick to say that the scandal may not have many legal ramifications in California, which has a “no-fault” divorce system.
In California law, cheating is “irrelevant.”
Richard Sullivan, a family law attorney, told The Blast that cheating can be “morally outrageous,” but it doesn’t matter much in California family court. Sullivan said, “California is a no-fault divorce state.” “That means the court doesn’t care who cheated or why the marriage ended.”
In this state, adultery does not automatically provide the offended spouse the right to extra money. The only way that cheating could affect your finances is if you utilized community monies to pay for the affair, like buying expensive gifts or going on trips. Even in those circumstances, the court would merely change how the assets were split up to make up for the money that was used wrong, not as a punishment.
Child custody decisions are based on health and safety.
Sullivan also made it clear that custody decisions are based on what is best for the child, not on how embarrassed a parent is in public or what they do in private. He remarked, “Making a bad decision at a concert doesn’t mean you’re a bad parent.” The court’s main goal is to make sure the child has a safe and secure place to live.
Megan, Andy Byron’s wife, has taken her married name off her Facebook site and is said to have gone back to the couple’s home in Maine. Andy Byron and Kristin Cabot, the former head of HR, have both quit their jobs at Astronomer.