The end of a marriage is often a highly emotional and legally complex experience. Managing divorce with family and friends can make it even more complicated and stressful. New Jersey divorce attorney Tanya Freeman offers her advice on this.
Managing Divorce with Family and Friends | Ground Rules for Family
As an accomplished New Jersey Divorce Lawyer, I get questions all the time from clients regarding extended families and setting ground rules for them. As you navigate your journey to a divorce, inevitably in the extended family everyone’s going to have advice. Whether it’s your mother, your father, your sister, or your former mother-in-law, everyone’s going to have advice to offer you and your spouse and in particular the children. Early on in your journey, set the ground rules. Decide who you want to hear from or who you don’t want to hear from. If there are children along your journey and the children are navigating this process too, so most importantly set the ground rules for the children. The divorce is not the topic at Sunday dinner with grandma. Respectfully, “Grandma, we’re not going to talk about this in front of the children.” They didn’t choose the journey. They’re navigating the process with Mom and Dad. Let’s not make it more difficult than it needs to be. Don’t be afraid to push back. Family means well, but badmouthing the former spouse is not going to help the children navigate the journey.
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Managing Divorce with Family and Friends | Dividing Your Friends
As a skillful New Jersey Divorce Lawyer, I get questions all the time from clients about dividing friends after divorce. Now that we’ve embarked on this journey of a divorce, are we really going to divide our friends? Legally you don’t have to, but does it happen as a matter of practicality in a divorce? Yes, you had couple friends, you had girlfriends, the husband had guy friends, and friends oftentimes will polarize. They will say, “Oh, gosh. I can’t believe she’s leaving you,” or “I can’t believe you’re leaving him.” Know that as you move through your journey that you may lose, or you may even gain some friends in the process. You can’t be shocked. You can say, “Well, that’s going to change my settlement position,” or “That’s going to change how I move about through this journey.” Know that these things can come up and when they do you need to be prepared on how you’re going to move forward.
If you need advice with managing divorce with family and friend Call today to set up a free consultation in either the Parsippany or Jersey City office.
