Parents: Be cautious while dating before your divorce is final

Depending on the circumstances surrounding your divorce, you may be eager to begin dating or you may have little interest in dating at this time. If you do have interest in dating and your divorce has yet to be legally finalized, it is important that you exercise caution in regards to certain dating behaviors.

If you choose to date before your divorce is finalized, you may benefit from avoiding dating sites. Because your spouse’s attorney and the court can access these sites, any posts you make could be twisted and used against you. Similarly, you may benefit from discussing your dating life and posting any pictures of yourself on dates to social media sites.

You should also be cautious about bringing dates home with you or discussing your dating life with your children. Should misunderstandings arise and be voiced to your child’s other parent, the situation could become heated and complex very quickly.

Ultimately, your dating life is your business. However, your spouse’s attorney may seek to make your dating life the court’s business. Depending on how your spouse’s attorney wishes to construct his or her case, your dating life could be used to impact your divorce settlement or your child custody dispute.

If you have questions about how your dating life may impact your divorce case or your child custody dispute, please do not hesitate to voice your concerns to your attorney. Your attorney should be able to advise you in ways that help to protect your interests and your privacy whenever possible.

Source

: The Huffington Post, “8 Dating Pitfalls Divorced Moms Should Avoid,” Debbie Martinez, Feb. 12, 2015