One of the hardest parts of your divorce will be breaking the news to your family and friends. While you may know how they feel about your spouse, you will likely have difficulty anticipating their reaction ahead of time. Getting the message and its timing right, then, might feel difficult. Because each divorce is different, it is crucial to consider the circumstances of your split before telling your loved ones about it.
Breaking the news
Your spouse may have had a close relationship with your family, and you two may have shared many friends. In these cases, you might want to sit down with them together and inform them of your divorce. This approach may seem odd, but it could make sense if you are parting on amicable terms and want to preserve the relationships you shared on your own. Yet, your divorce might be acrimonious, or your loved ones may have expressed distaste for your spouse in the past. In these cases, you will want to tell them about your divorce by yourself.
Telling people about your divorce will be easiest to do in person. You may feel tempted to spread the word on social media. But this will only cause hurt feelings and add unnecessary complications to divorce proceedings.
What to share
The amount of information you share with your family and friends about your divorce will depend on why it is happening. If your marriage broke down due to infidelity, abuse or addiction, your loved ones may know about the struggles it endured. You might find that being transparent about this information will provide you relief. Yet, you also have the right to assert your privacy, especially if the rumor mill starts churning. When looking at your marriage from the outside, though, your loved ones may have thought it perfect. Providing some basic details about your divorce might be necessary if it comes as a surprise. But you can choose what you feel is appropriate to divulge.
No one looks forward to telling their loved ones about their divorce. Yet, by finding a safe setting to share the news in and crafting a message you feel comfortable with, you can take some of the pain out of the process.