How to Draft a Divorce Announcement

In this age of social media, people share photos of their wedding, honeymoon, and children. Unsurprisingly, folks naturally want to share the news that they are getting divorced. But what you say about the end of your marriage could be a sore point with your spouse and frustrate your goal of an amicable split.

In this day and age, it isn’t unusual for couples to draft a divorce announcement, which they can post on their respective social media platforms. In fact, you can draft it right along with your property division agreement or parenting plan. Our family law attorney in League City and Galveston provides 7 tips for creating a solid announcement.

1.       Draft the Announcement Together, if Possible

Yes, each spouse could draft their own announcement and post whatever they want. But there are benefits to crafting a message jointly.

First, your teenage children can see whatever you post, and you need to be careful about what you say about their other parent. Even young children will grow up to read it some day. The internet is forever, after all. Drafting it jointly eliminates the risk of saying something offensive.

Second, if you draft the announcement together, you’ll at least know what your spouse is saying on social media about you, even if they say something different in private.

2.       Emphasize the Importance of Your Children

Again, your children will probably read this. Saying something like, “As always, our children remain our top concern” also signals to other people that you are taking the high road.

3.       Request Privacy

Yes, some people will pry and corner you in the grocery store for all the details of your divorce. And maybe you’ll drop a 15-point indictment of your ex over coffee with your best friend. But it doesn’t hurt to request privacy during this time. Some people will accept your request.

4.       Keep it Brief

The purpose is to announce the divorce. That’s it. You don’t have to provide a blow-by-blow summary or go into detail about why you chose to file divorce papers. You can announce your divorce in 4 or 5 sentences.

5.       Avoid Asking for Dates

Even if you are eager to jump back into the dating pool, the divorce announcement is not the place to state, “Hey, I’m single! Call me!” Instead, simply change your relationship status to single as a way of telling people you are open to future romantic encounters.

6.       Be Sensitive if You Draft a Solo Announcement

It’s best if each side has input on the announcement. You can then draft the same thing on your social media accounts or use slight variations. If you are writing your own announcement without input, then remember to be sensitive. No dumping on your spouse.

7.       Write Naturally

The announcement should be in your own voice, otherwise people might think your lawyer wrote it. It’s okay if you don’t like to write. Instead, speak out loud and listen to the words that come out of your mouth. People sound natural when they write the way they sound.

Experienced Divorce Lawyers

We understand how important it is to lower the temperature on a divorce so you can successfully coparent in the future. For help with a divorce, contact Tad Nelson & Associates today.