Nobody wants to air all their dirty laundry in public — and that’s especially true when you have significant wealth to your name and belong to an elite social circle. Yet, keeping your private life actually private may not be the first thing on your mind when you’re going through a divorce.
However, it probably should be. What are the consequences of an overly-public divorce battle with your spouse? Consider these:
It could affect your future occupational goals
While there’s really no stigma associated with divorce these days, the same can’t be said about alcoholism, drug addiction, adultery and mental illness. Any (or all) of those things may be alleged by a bitter and vindictive spouse during a divorce. It doesn’t matter if they’re true or not — a future employer who looks into your records may simply choose to err on the side of caution if they see the allegations.
It could affect your relationship with your children
No matter what age your children are, you don’t necessarily want them to know the details of your intimate life. If you had an affair, for example, your adult children may see you in a different light — one that’s much more negative than before. Similarly, a battle over child support may one day be viewed as a sign that you didn’t care about their future (not that you were simply protecting your own interests).
You won’t have any privacy
It only takes a few keystrokes and a quick search on Google to bring up court records these days, and anybody in your neighborhood or social circle can peruse through your private matters — including your financial concerns. If you want to retain any sense of privacy, it’s simply better to keep things under wraps.
There are often ways to keep a high-asset divorce record private — starting with keeping it out of court altogether through the use of mediation, collaboration and other legal methods. An attorney can help you learn more about your options.
