Chances are, no matter how you divide the marital property during a divorce, you’re going to need to keep your job — or get a job — to move on effectively with your future. Since divorce can wreak havoc on your entire life, including your professional life, you might want to take some steps to safeguard your career as you work through issues such as property division or custody.
One of the first tips for protecting your career during a divorce is not to talk about the divorce at work. That doesn’t mean you need to be secretive or hide your divorce from coworkers purposefully, but you shouldn’t indulge in pity sessions with coworkers or give them all the details of the latest hearing. Not only does that make you look unprofessional, but it could fuel gossip in the workplace or provide unsympathetic coworkers with information that could be used against you.
Instead, simply acknowledge that you are going through a divorce if asked, and return the conversation to professional matters. Concentrating on your career at work also provides you an outlet for energy that doesn’t have anything to do with your divorce case.
Being professional usually means avoiding romantic entanglements. While it can be tempting to turn to someone you know in the workplace for romance, an office relationship complicates your entire life. That’s the last thing you need just out of a divorce.
Finally, don’t take out feelings of frustration and anger on coworkers, projects or clients. When you are dealing with complex divorce issues such as property division, it’s normal to become frustrated or stressed, which is one reason to face those issues alongside a trusted professional. Find outlets for that stress that won’t impact your career or your professional relationships, which you’ll need once the divorce is finalized.
Source: Divorced Moms, “5 Ways To Keep Divorce From Ruining Your Career,” Dorothy McMichen, accessed Sep. 09, 2016
