10 Commandments Of Divorce

If I were to make a guide about all the things that could go wrong in a divorce, it would be my recently completed a blog series on the "7 Deadly Sins of Divorce." There, I talked about Gluttony, Envy, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Lust and Pride; the Narcissistic Divorce.

But that's just part of the story. There are a lot of things that could go right in a divorce.

That is why I have put together this list of the "10 Commandments of Divorce." I think of this as my wish list to clients; something that I believe that in my experience, can make a divorce go from bad to less bad. Of course, they are mostly in jest and of course only corollaries to the real 10 Commandments, but there is some of truth to many of them.

  1. The judge is The Lord of your divorce proceedings

    The judge is the ultimate arbiter of your case. Don't anger him or her; (s)he will smite you.

  2. Thou shalt not post anything stupid on Facebook or Twitter

    Or Instagram, or Reddit, or a divorce forum, or anywhere else for that matter. This will come back to haunt you. Just see Robert Epstein's post on the issue here.

  3. Do not fight with your spouse in vain (or make your lawyer do it on your behalf)

    Do yourself a favor. If it is not really important, then let it go. And by that I mean, take a step back and do a cost/benefit analysis. If it won't matter in a day, a month, or a year - drop it. It will save you much time, money and energy in the short and long term.

  4. Remember the good old days

    I say this because it will help you to not fight with your spouse in vain. Sometimes gaining some perspective will cause you to reflect and gain an eye toward resolution instead of conflict.

  5. Honor His or Her Honor

    This goes back to the first and second Commandments. Just like you shouldn't disparage your spouse via electronic media, don't do it to the judge. He or she will find out and then you will be smitten. Don't get smitten. You have enough to deal with.

  6. Thou shalt not make threats to kill

    Please do not get yourself embroiled in a domestic violence proceeding during your divorce. Take a deep breath and recite these 10 Commandments of Divorce. Domestic violence charges can have serious implications in terms of custody, and may even result in a criminal record. Just say no.

  7. Thou shalt not commit adultery (on your lawyer)

    When it is time to change lawyers, you will know. But it is important that if you are keeping your lawyer, you be confident in his or her...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT