At Oxendine Law, we understand that tempers can run hot during a divorce. It’s only natural for resentments or disagreements that developed during the marriage to reemerge during the divorce proceedings. However, a parent must always think about what is best for their child. Speaking poorly about your spouse during an ongoing divorce will ultimately negatively affect your children but also may have legal implications that can further complicate your situation.

All parenting plans contain a provision which prohibits both parents from making disparaging remarks about the other parent. People commonly speak negatively about their soon-to-be-former spouse in an effort to gain sympathy or support from the people closest to them, sometimes even their children. Regardless of the reason for these feelings, and we understand they can often be valid, our family law experts strongly advise against airing these grievances publicly, as this can come with serious repercussions in many cases. This specifically includes making negative comments on social media as well, even just sharing posts without comment.

Kids are often stuck in the middle of two feuding sides during a divorce, which is obviously incredibly stressful and difficult for them. Speaking negatively about your spouse in front of your child only makes this harder, as kids are influenced to believe that one of their parents is the “good” one and the other is the “bad” one. No matter how good it may feel to get something nasty off your chest, robbing your child of the opportunity to maintain a healthy relationship with both their parents is simply not worth it.

Additionally, this can also have an impact on the divorce itself, leading to increased legal fees, possible court-ordered injunctions, and reduced chances of achieving the divorce and child custody arrangements that you are trying to gain. Check out this recent clip, where Oxendine Law managing partner and family law attorney Jarrod Oxendine discusses the importance of not making negative comments about your spouse during a divorce: