Q&A: Divorce Around The Holidays

The holidays can be an exciting time of year with all the festivities, seeing your families, and spending time with your children on break. Around the holidays, Advocate Law Firm, P.A. receives many questions from couples about how to handle their divorce and the holiday season. We’ve answered some of our favorite questions for you.

How Do I Tell My Family About My Divorce?

It may come as a surprise if you arrive at your family Thanksgiving dinner without your spouse. But for some, that may be a way that you tell your family about your divorce.

Before you tell your family about your divorce, you should develop a plan on how you want to address the matter. Think about what exactly you will tell your family, what details you will include, and how you will answer questions. Be flexible with how you will tell them, as your location and audience may change.

When talking about your divorce with your family for the first time, take it slow and try and be as comfortable as possible. Your divorce may be distressing, so your comfort is most important in this situation. You always have the ability to divert the conversation and end the discussion, so if it reaches into topics you would rather not discuss, you can always tell your family you’re not addressing that today. In your discussion, try and build boundaries, as your divorce should be about you and your spouse, not your family’s feelings.

What Do We Do With Our Children?

This holiday season is a time to decide how you will spend your holidays with your children in the future. Take this opportunity to build new traditions with your children that you can continue together in the future.

Have a conversation with your spouse regarding their holiday plans when planning out your time for the holidays. Together, you can build a time for your children that can still bring in the magic of the holidays even with their parents separated. Also, consult your children on what they would like to do together during this holiday season. Maybe your children have an idea of how they would like to spend their time together with you, which can bring forth meaningful time together this holiday season.

If you have questions about your family law matter and the holidays, call our Bartow divorce attorneys today for a free case consultation at (863) 644-5566.