Few people today consider background checks to be a standard element of pre-marriage procedures like prenuptial agreements have become. We tend to think people trust each other enough to have shared everything that’s important about themselves before even broaching the subject of marriage. However, this isn’t always the case. You can refer to UnMask if you want to learn more.
Why Get a Background Check
The reality is that con artists do exist. There are many such true crime stories. Marital deceit has been the fodder of countless TV shows. Background checks should become a prerequisite, just like getting a blood test.
For Richer, for Poorer
When it comes to the financial impact, a credit check is an essential part of any background screening. Since spouses tend to pool debt and income, you need to be sure your partner is financially responsible. Poor credit will impact future mortgages, loans, lease terms, insurance payments, and perhaps employment. A low credit score is no reason to call the marriage off, of course, but knowing how the credit rating will affect your needs going forward and who has the better record can help plan ahead.
Arguments about money are a pervasive cause of marital problems. They are recurrent and problematic and often remained unresolved even though people will make multiple efforts to solve them. Having a detailed financial profile in advance can help resolve or even avoid potential issues in this regard.
Deal Breakers
A background check can reveal fraud, incidences of deception, and even legal obstacles to marriage. You might find the person is not legally eligible to get married. Sometimes, you can chalk it up to an honest mistake. It might be due to an immigration issue or thinking a previous marriage was annulled when it really wasn’t.
An identity change can have taken place for different reasons; being in a witness protection program or simply making the decision to start over.
Criminal history: Nobody who conceals a criminal record, especially one for domestic violence, deserves your trust. Besides, no one wants to end up filing a protective order against their partner.
Civil action record: If your future spouse is always in court, it may be that their life was filled with poor judgment and drama. It could also mean they were out of luck. A lengthy judgment or civil action record might indicate the person has committed or attempted fraud, is antisocial, or has another issue.
History of addiction: Drug convictions and DUIs signal drug abuse. Erratic spending and excessive debt indicate a propensity for MLM schemes or gambling addiction. Sometimes, people just don’t feel this is worth mentioning because they think it’s normal.
Legality
Individuals can conduct background checks completely legally, unlike companies, which must comply with certain laws if they wish to conduct pre-employment screening. This means you are free to run a background check on anyone as a natural person. You don’t have to tell your partner. You have every right to consider any personal traits that are important to you and exercise judgment with respect to the outcome.
If you perceive this as snooping and don’t feel comfortable doing it, look at background checks together. It can be treated as a form of entertainment, like going to a fortune teller. It’s only fair that both partners be screened to avoid drama.
There’s nothing dishonest about undergoing a background check. Your partner might not even be aware of adverse information about their past showing up. You could be doing them a favor by checking and allowing them to explain or have their record corrected.
