Imagine you have decided that you want to get a divorce, and it’s time to tell your spouse. How should you do it?
Naturally, every situation is different. The way you tell your spouse depends on the reasons for the divorce and the relationship you had during the marriage. You need to figure out exactly what is right for you, which may be very different from what someone else would do.
That said, there are a few things you want to avoid. For instance, you should not:
- Leave without saying a word, never to return. While you can get a divorce even without seeing each other or working together, this makes the whole thing far more complicated and emotional. The one exception here is if it’s a case of domestic violence and abuse.
- Serve the papers to your spouse without ever talking about divorce. That’s a very jarring way to find out that the marriage is over. Again, it creates hard feelings and potential complications that you could have avoided if you just talked to them about it in advance.
- Tell anyone else prior to telling the person you married. Don’t tell the kids first. Don’t tell your friends what you’re going to do. Don’t talk to other family members. You don’t want your spouse finding out through the grapevine. They should be the first person to know, and you can move on from there.
No matter how you decide to do it, you need to know what legal options you have and how you can protect your rights after you file for your divorce.