The recent hack of AshleyMadison.com has made major international news over the last couple of weeks, and has raised a public debate as to whether the ends truly justify the means in this particular situation.

More than 30 million users of the affair-seeking website had their personal information exposed, and a web service has been established for people to search for their spouses or significant others among that massive list. As a result, many people — including some celebrities and public figures — have had to come clean with their loved ones.

One aspect of the story that has received a significant amount of attention is the sheer number of people who registered for the website using their work emails. They did this likely as an attempt to conceal their activities, although most divorce attorneys would agree that this is a terrible idea, as it can be used as evidence in court procedures against them. Additionally, using a work email to find an extramarital affair could be considered grounds for termination in some organizations, as many of them have policies in place to prevent employees from using their infrastructure for non-business purposes.

One report shows Maryland has the 10th-highest percentage of people with paying accounts at Ashley Madison, with Washington, D.C. being the second highest.

What do divorce lawyers say?

For the most part, divorce attorneys have been recommending that people who have had their information exposed in the attack simply come clean with their significant others, as attempting to conceal an account could make matters even worse in eventual divorce hearings and lead to less favorable settlements.

For more information on the legal aspects of the Ashley Madison hack and for advice on how to proceed with your divorce, consult a skilled Maryland divorce lawyer at Mudd, Mudd & Fitzgerald, P.A.