Legal Definitions - avowtry

Avowtry is another word for adultery, which is when a married person has voluntary sexual intercourse with someone who is not their spouse. In some places, adultery is a crime, but it is rarely prosecuted. If a couple gets a divorce, proof of adultery can be used as a reason for the divorce. A court may also use proof of adultery to reduce the property award given to the offending spouse. In the past, judges would use adultery as a reason to deny the offending spouse primary custody of a child, but today only the effect of immoral behavior on the child is considered relevant.

Examples of types of adultery include:

• Double adultery: Adultery between two people who are both married to other people.
• Incestuous adultery: Adultery between relatives or closely related people.
• Open and notorious adultery: Adultery in which the couple lives together publicly, as if they are married, and the community is aware that they are not married.
• Single adultery: Adultery in which only one of the people involved is married.

These examples illustrate the different circumstances in which adultery can occur. For example, double adultery involves two people who are both married to other people, while single adultery involves only one married person. Incestuous adultery involves relatives or closely related people, which is considered taboo in most societies. Open and notorious adultery is when the couple lives together publicly, which can be seen as disrespectful to the institution of marriage.