Breaking The News: Telling Relatives & Friends About Your Divorce

You’ve told your children about your divorce. Now it’s time to tell everyone else – including your siblings, your parents, your other relatives, and your friends. But how do you break the news to the group of people who were excited when you got engaged, who celebrated your marriage, and who accepted your spouse into their lives?

Perhaps the most frightening thing about telling friends and family about your divorce is that you aren’t sure how they will react. Some, who have come to know and perhaps even love your spouse, may feel angry or betrayed. Others may be kind and supportive. Still others may even have a positive reaction to the news.

Here are three quick tips on letting others know about your divorce:

• Understand that you don’t have to go into details. Even though you may need to share your divorce with friends and family, you don’t have to expose your private lives. If you want, keep the information basic and general. There is no need to talk about sensitive issues, even if they ask.
• Know that you don’t have to take advice. Don’t be surprised when everyone you tell seems to know exactly what step you should take next. While input from the ones you love can be wonderful, some friends or family may be pressuring you into thinking, feeling, or doing things you aren’t comfortable with. Remember: even though aspects of a divorce are public, they are primarily a private matter.
• Don’t ask relatives to take sides. Many of your close family may have accepted your spouse as a family member. Resist the urge to ask them to cut all ties with your spouse or to bad mouth him or her. Present the facts you feel you must present, but don’t try to dictate their response to the news.

Do you need legal assistance from a Bellevue divorce attorney? Call the Law Offices of Molly B. Kenny today to schedule a free, private meeting with an experienced lawyer.