Maintaining privacy during a divorce is critical for the well-being of everyone involved, but the intensity of emotions sometimes makes that difficult. The process goes smoother when both parties respect each other’s privacy. Here are three tips on maintaining privacy in a divorce.
1. Maintain Privacy for Your Spouse
Both spouses should refrain from speaking negatively and breaching privacy about their former partner to friends and family. This is especially important if the couple has minor children together since they will need to maintain a respectful co-parenting relationship moving forward.
2. Seek Counseling
Discussions should be directed away from what led up to the divorce and negative feedback between spouses should be avoided. It is normal to want to vent and blame each other for what led up to the separation but that conversation would be better suited in the environment of a counselor and not during the divorce process.
3. Consider Collaborative Divorce
Anything that takes place in a litigated divorce can become a matter of public record. This means that members of the public could view the divorce proceedings in the courtroom or online. Collaborative Divorce provides a smaller setting with confidentiality requirements in place. In the Collaborative Divorce process, no motions are filed with the court detailing personal negative aspects of separation. Taking this approach ensures confidentiality and public records of the details will not exist. Not only do people want to keep private the details of what led up to the divorce, they want to safeguard their personal financial information as well. In this internet age, it is very easy to access personal information once it enters the public domain.
When couples agree to participate in the Collaborative Divorce process, the only people who view their confidential information are members of the team working with them and does not go beyond that small circle of advisors. The only thing filed with the court is the settlement agreement at the end of the divorce collaboration process to obtain a divorce decree.
If you are needing help with your divorce, call 213-351-1000 or contact us at Kim Mediation and Law Center and get a free 15-minute phone consultation.