During your divorce, it’s normal to feel a bit lonely. You might feel the urge to start browsing online dating sites before your Raleigh divorce lawyer hands you your divorce decree.
If that sounds like you, stop! The consequences of joining an online dating site during divorce often outweigh any possible benefits.
Dating before your divorce is final can cause serious problems; it can even affect the amount of alimony you pay or receive, your kids’ emotional well-being and your own romantic future with the people you meet. When you start surfing online dating sites, the waters can get pretty murky quickly.
What Your Raleigh Divorce Lawyer May Advise
Your Raleigh divorce lawyer might tell you to avoid creating a profile on an online dating site until your divorce is over. There are several reasons your attorney might suggest you hold out—including the fact that everything you put on the Internet is easy for others to access. You don’t need your ex finding a dating profile when you’re in the middle of a divorce, and you certainly don’t want your kids to stumble upon it, either.
Although creating a profile isn’t the same as dating during divorce, your Raleigh divorce lawyer may advise you to steer clear of the entire scene until you’re officially single. Your ex might suggest that you’ve been unfaithful during the marriage or use what you’ve posted against you in some way, so it may be better to avoid possible complications altogether.
Emotional Issues with Online Dating Sites for the Not-Quite-Divorced
Most psychologists say that it’s perfectly normal to look toward your romantic future once you’ve decided your marriage is over. However, meeting new prospects—even online—can be detrimental to the healing process. Your exciting new feelings might overshadow the very real need you have to put the past where it belongs: in the past.
Making emotional and romantic connections before you’re ready is also unfair to others. You could inadvertently hurt someone else by jumping into a relationship when you’re not on level emotional ground.
Your Ex and Your Dating Profile
If your ex finds out you’re interested in dating, he or she might become less cooperative in regards to the divorce. Your Raleigh divorce lawyer can help you work through issues you experience with your ex, but it’s often better if the issues never come up at all.
Legal Problems from Joining Online Dating Sites during Divorce
Since every case is different, only your Raleigh divorce lawyer can give you legal advice that’s specific to your situation. If you’ve already set up profiles on online dating sites, talk to your attorney about your course of action. He or she might suggest that you delete them or, at the very least, make them private.
The bottom line: talk to your Raleigh divorce lawyer before setting up an online dating profile. Your lawyer will let you know when it’s legally okay to dip your toes in the dating pool.
