Work & Divorce In Virginia – Managing Your Professional Obligations And Personal Stress During Divorce

The Distraction of Divorce

When you’re going through a divorce, it can become an all-consuming presence during your day. The financial, emotional, and legal dimensions of the process often create enormous stress in your daily life. This stress can be disruptive during the workday, and as emails come in from your attorney or text messages from your spouse or child, your productivity can take a substantial hit. One thing no one needs during their divorce is more stress, and admonishments from your superior or your colleagues for falling behind at work will certainly add just that.

Managing the spheres of your life (personal, familial, social, and professional) is a task in and of itself when going through a divorce. Below we’ve outlined four tips for helping manage your professional life while going through a divorce:

Inform the Appropriate People

By letting the right people at work about what you’re going through (HR representative, your superior, your business partner), it creates an awareness that can foster sympathy (or empathy) and boundaries that contributes to a more distraction-free and focused environment.

Don’t Use Your Work Email For Personal Matters

This is a wise habit to nurture no matter what, but it’s especially important when going through a divorce. When using your work email account to discuss personal matters, your privacy is not guaranteed (as your company most likely has access to all communication that runs through its servers), and your attorney-client privilege could be compromised.

Be Discreet

It is inevitable that your divorce will come up during work hours, and your colleagues may hear about it, and in some cases, some may even become involved through the issuing of subpoenas. As such, only discuss or bring up your divorce when necessary and refrain from talking loosely about it amongst your colleagues. This allows you to have more control over your day and protects your privacy as well as the privacy of those who may become involved.

Set Aside Time

Responding to every divorce issue that you’re notified of during your workday and the emotional distraction that comes along with it will only decrease your work productivity. A decrease in work productivity may disrupt the productivity of others as well. You should set aside a devoted segment of your day to deal with divorce business. This will allow for a more directed focus on both work and divorce obligations, and that focus allows for clarity which will result in fewer errors and frustration.

If you are going through a divorce and need assistance, contact our Virginia family law attorneys today! 

An experienced attorney will help manage your divorce affairs which allows you to have more control over your daily life throughout the difficult process. If you have any questions about divorce or other family law matters, please contact us by calling 888-691-9319 or fill out this short form to get started. 

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Related information

Navigating the Divorce Process in Virginia
Can Divorce Negatively Impact Your Credit?
What If My Spouse Won’t Agree To A Divorce?