Your Friends, Your Extended Family, And Your Divorce

Everyone knows that you should not vent to your children about your divorce and co-parenting stress; not only will it make the divorce more difficult for your children, but it will also count against you in court and make it harder for you to get the parenting time that you want.  The rules are less clear regarding family members and friends your own age and older.  Your parents, siblings, cousins, and friends can be a great source of emotional support during your divorce, but your divorce can also strain your relationship with people you were sure you could count on.  Everyone’s situation is different regarding which details to confide in which person; you should base your decisions about how your relationships with your family and friends should be now on how they were before and during your marriage.  Your friends and family cannot, however, give you legal advice about your divorce.  For that, you need a Boca Raton divorce lawyer.

Your Network of Friends and Family Can Be a Great Source of Stability During Your Divorce

Especially since it is so hard to tell your children what is really bothering you, everyone needs a friend or family member they can confide in about their divorce.  Choose your confidants wisely, though.  If your mother turns everything into a guilt trip and your brother’s wife tends to catastrophize, they will probably continue to do this in response to your updates about your family situation.  Even family members and friends who are not the perfect confidants can help you and your children maintain a feeling of normalcy.  It is a great help if your friend and his children join you at the bowling alley every Saturday during your parenting time, even if you don’t feel like talking about your divorce because it will just lead to him talking about how your ex-wife, both of his ex-wives, and most other women are gold diggers.  Likewise, you might not want to talk to your cousin about your divorce because his wife will immediately start sending incendiary tweets about it, but you can still join him for Thanksgiving dinner, because Thanksgiving at his house is always a joyous, action-packed occasion that will take your mind off of missing your kids during the first holiday you have spent away from them since they were born.

When Is It Appropriate to Ask a Family Member or Friend to Testify at Your Divorce Trial?

It is understandable for your family and friends to want to stay away from the ugliness of your divorce.  Your lawyer will only ask them to testify if they have information that no one else can provide.  For example, the friend who goes bowling with you every weekend might have an insider’s view of how much your children enjoy spending time with you if your ex-spouse is arguing otherwise and trying to persuade the court to reduce your parenting time.

Contact Schwartz | White About Getting Through the Most Painful Parts of Your Divorce

A South Florida family law attorney can help you with the legal aspects of your divorce, while your family and friends abide with you until better days.  Contact Schwartz | White in Boca Raton, Florida about your case.

Source:

emmaheptonstall.com/divorce-coaching/friends-and-family-during-divorce-5-dos-and-donts/