Divorce from a gambling-addicted husband, a decision after 15 years of pain

Fifteen years into her marriage, Ms. A has decided to divorce her husband, who is addicted to gambling. Appearing on YTN Radio’s ‘Consultation Office with Lawyer Join-seop,’ Ms. A revealed that she wants to break ties with her husband, who has been engrossed in gambling since their newlywed days and neglecting their family.

She expressed, "My husband drinks a lot and has severe gambling habits," adding, "Every day he gets drunk and demands money, saying ‘Life is a gamble.’"

After losing his job, her husband focused on gambling while living in Gangwon Province. Ms. A took out small loans for living expenses, but her credit rating has dropped, rendering her unable to borrow any more money.

Even when her husband occasionally won money from gambling, he would not disclose the amount and would only give her several hundred thousand won when he was in a good mood.

Ms. A remarked, "He’s my only husband, so I thought 'he will change someday' and spent 15 years in hope," stating, "Since my husband has not provided living expenses on time, I had to start working again after our children entered elementary school."

She is currently working at a bakery through a job program for women who have experienced career interruption.

However, her husband sold their children's cell phones and iPads to use the money for gambling. Ultimately, Ms. A decided to get a divorce, saying, "The kids also said they would prefer not to see their dad," and expressed her desire to receive alimony. Currently, her husband has not returned home for two months.

Attorney Shin Go-un from Shinsegae Law Firm commented, "The husband’s severe gambling addiction, prolonged absence, and failure to fulfill his support obligations are significant grounds that make it difficult to continue the marriage, which means the divorce claim is likely to be accepted." She also added that "Since the husband's gambling addiction is the main cause of the marital breakdown, there is a possibility that higher-than-usual alimony may be recognized."

There was also a discussion regarding the children's visitation rights. The attorney explained, "Even after the divorce, the child has the right to see their father," but noted that "if the children have a strong aversion to their father due to his gambling, the court may prevent them from seeing him."

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