In an ideal world, couples who don’t get along would peacefully separate and divorce with a minimum of fuss and little (or no) acrimony. Unfortunately, it’s far from a perfect world — and even a divorce that starts out reasonably amicable can get ugly as it proceeds.
As a professional person, you have a reputation to uphold and your standing in your community is important to you. You’re worried about what kind of damage the details of your divorce could do to your future and your business.
You do have options. Here are three things to consider:
Go for an uncontested divorce
The main difference between an uncontested divorce and a contested divorce is that uncontested divorces don’t have to be litigated. If you and your spouse are able to agree on all of the major issues regarding the division of assets and debts, child custody and support, you can largely keep the details of your split private.
Hire a private judge
If you can’t avoid litigation, you can still keep the specifics of your split quiet by hiring a private judge. This is commonly done by high-profile couples in order to protect their reputations and brands. Using a private judge also means that you don’t have to deal with the court’s schedule to get through hearings and settle your divorce.
Get a social media clause
Nothing spreads faster than gossip — except gossip posted on social media. If you and your spouse are both willing, an agreement to refrain from spreading information about the other on social media can keep you both from “oversharing” on Facebook and other platforms. Social media clauses are becoming increasingly common in divorce.
When you’re going through a difficult divorce, it pays to explore all your options, particularly when you’re worried about the optics of the situation.