How to Catch a Lying Spouse

Sometimes people lie because they are trying to protect themselves. Other times, people lie because it is a lifelong habit. Perhaps you have lied to spare someone's feelings. However, if you think your spouse is lying to you, chances are you don't care why he or she is lying. There are some steps you can take to determine whether your spouse might be lying to you.

Instructions

1. Watch for inconsistencies. If your spouse tells you about where they have been or what they were doing, listen to the details. If you are on the phone and your husband says he says he is working late, but you hear the car radio in the background, you might want to dig a little deeper.

2. Notice your spouse's body language. If you suspect your wife is in the midst of telling you a lie, look for telltale signs such as crossing her arms, scratching her nose or covering her mouth with her hands. However, if she is holding her hands out with palms open, it is likely that she is telling you the truth.

3. Look into your spouse's eyes. Does your spouse maintain eye contact, or try to avoid it while telling you about his whereabouts last night? If it is the latter, chances are there are some untruths being told. But if your spouse maintains eye contact that doesn't necessarily mean he is being honest. Your spouse might simply be a good liar. So watch for other signs as mentioned in the following step.

4. Pay attention to your spouse's bodily functions. Now, that might sound like an odd thing to do, but these are things that he or she probably can't control. If your husband has beads of sweat on his brow line or upper lip and it's chilly, that is a sign he is lying. If your wife just chugged a tall glass of water but still has an excessively dry mouth when talking to you, that is a sign that she is lying.

5. Listen to what your spouse says. If you ask him a question, does he respond with another question? Does he stammer and trip over his reply? These are signs that your spouse is being less than truthful with you.

Tips & Warnings

• If you feel that your spouse is lying to you but you can't prove it, seek marital counseling. If your spouse agrees to go with you, that is great; but if not, go alone.