How should you tell your Facebook friends about your divorce?

For some people, one of the most difficult aspects of divorce is the embarrassment factor. It can be humiliating to tell your family, friends and acquaintances that you are ending your marriage, knowing that many of them are probably judging you and speculating on the reasons for your divorce. This may be especially true if you use Facebook and other social networking websites, and have hundreds of ‘friends’ who may or may not really be friends at all.

So how do you tell your online networks about your divorce? Is it appropriate to post a status update alerting the world of your split? Or perhaps a short email to only close friends, informing them of the situation and asking for support? Or should you just let word of mouth take care of it?

As with most other decisions you must make in a divorce, this will depend largely on what you feel is best for you and your family. But according to a recent article in The Huffington Post, it may be beneficial to inform your social networks of your split.

One benefit of this approach is that it may help you avoid any uncomfortable encounters with people who are not sure of your marital situation. It can be awkward and painful to rehash the split time after time, so sending out a short email stating that you are getting a divorce can help to avoid that.

By doing so, you may also find resources and support that you didn’t know you had. For example, one friend or acquaintance may be able to recommend a skilled Las Vegas family lawyer, while another can offer a financial advisor or family therapist.

Regardless of whether you send such an email, you should try not to worry about what others are thinking about you and your divorce. You are making a positive change for you and your family, which is all that matters.

Source: The Huffington Post, “E-nnouncing Divorce,” Abby Tolchinsky, Feb. 10, 2012