Be careful about getting divorce advice from your friends

Say you’re considering divorce. While out with a friend, you mention it to them. Your friend has already gotten divorced, so it’s a natural thing to bring up, and they know your spouse.

What happens next? Odds are high that your friend starts to give you advice. They have good intentions and they want to help. They know that their own experience may be valuable. But you really do not want to take that advice.

The problem is that their divorce is not your divorce. Your situation is unique — your marriage, your divorce, your relationship and your assets. The list goes on and on. Every single part of the situation is different in one way or another.

The advice you get from your friend is just going to be them telling you what worked for them. That’s fine, but you do not want to assume that it will work for you.

For instance, maybe their spouse was very understanding when they asked for a divorce and didn’t cause any issues. They say that you should just bring it up whenever you want and you can figure out how to prepare after the fact.

But what if your spouse isn’t so understanding? Are they going to make it harder for you to gather important documents or access bank accounts and lines of credit? It may very well be in your best interests to prepare first and then ask for the divorce.

Again, your friend is only trying to help, but they may inadvertently do harm. Instead of getting advice from them, it’s wise to talk to an experienced family law attorney who can help to guide you through the process.