Having your dirty laundry out for others to see can be embarrassing in business and personal settings. As far as privacy goes, divorce is often at the top of the list of things people would prefer remain private. 

Unfortunately, it’s not always possible to fully hide this information, and over time most people eventually “find out” about your divorce. With that said, it can be critical for things to stay under wraps for as long as possible, especially early on during the divorce proceedings. 

This topic inspired us to gather a small list of tips that you can follow when you’re trying to keep your divorce to yourself. As always, remember that this is general advice. For specific and guided legal counsel, we implore you to reach out to a qualified family lawyer.

Consider Mediation Rather than a Traditional Divorce

One of the biggest obstacles to privacy during divorce: it becomes a part of the public record! That’s right, your divorce is fully open to prying eyes once your divorce formally enters the CA family law court system. This sounds bad if privacy is your concern, but there is a caveat. 

This only applies to traditional divorce proceedings, and not any form of alternate divorce or resolution proceedings. One of the biggest benefits of mediation is that it affords you much greater control over your proceedings. Coming together with the ex to work out a resolution isn’t always an option, but when it is, it’s a highly effective way that can protect the privacy of everyone involved. 

Remain Vigilant About Where you Are and What You Say

You’ll likely have to deal with a lot of communications or be involved in discussions about your separation or divorce for weeks, months, or even longer. As it becomes a routine topic of conversation for you, be vigilant about your surroundings when you bring up these topics.

This might sound obvious but people often give up details about their divorce long before coworkers have a chance to find out about it from another source. Even something like taking a phone call from your attorney in a place a coworker might overhear could lead to the entire office buzzing with gossip. 

Avoid Using a Work Email or Phone for Divorce-Related Communications

Likewise, don’t use work devices to discuss any details about your divorce! Most corporate IT policies allow employers to see what you’re doing. This doesn’t mean employers are entitled to spread rumors about you, but nonetheless provides an avenue for this information to be divulged by someone else. 

Even if you’re not worried about your boss or the local IT guy being a snoop, you could get careless and accidentally open up an email that mentions your divorce while a co-worker is in visual range of your screen, etc. Play it safe and keep those communications within the confines of your personal devices. 

We hope these tips help you get started thinking about your privacy at work and your divorce. To learn more, and to speak with a seasoned family law attorney in CA, call us at R & S Law Group, LLP today. 

Schedule a free initial consultation, where we can discuss your legal needs and concerns, by calling (949) 825-5245 today.