Ending a marriage isn’t as confidential as you might like. The fact that you filed, when you filed and the final judgment are all public records in Michigan. Anyone can search county court records and see your divorce records. However, that’s only the basic information.
While the filing itself can’t be confidential, you can keep many details of your personal life, finances and family matters private with the right approach. Knowing how to keep sensitive details about your divorce away from public scrutiny can give you peace of mind during this difficult time.
Ways to maintain privacy during your divorce
You can request your spouse to refrain from discussing the divorce publicly if you value privacy. However, since you can’t control your spouse or their behavior, focus on other strategies instead. Here are five ways to protect your privacy:
- Choose mediation instead of litigation: Mediation keeps your disputes and negotiations out of the courtroom. You’ll meet with a neutral third party in a private setting to work through issues, keeping sensitive discussions confidential.
- Limit your social media presence: What you post online can be used against you in court. Consider taking a break from social media or being careful about what you share. Even private messages can be subpoenaed and affect custody decisions, property settlements and spousal support decisions.
- Use confidentiality agreements: Your attorney can draft agreements that legally bind both parties from sharing certain information publicly. These can help parties avoid public disclosure.
- Be selective about who you confide in: Friends and family mean well, but information spreads quickly. Choose one or two trusted confidants rather than telling everyone about your divorce. Anything you tell others could potentially reach your spouse and be used against you in negotiations or court proceedings.
- Pursue settlement agreements: When you settle issues outside of court, you can keep specific details of your agreements more private. Only the final judgment needs to be filed, which typically contains less detail than evidence presented during a trial compared to litigation.
Conversations that lead to gossip or posting on social media where you share details about your divorce are two of the top ways people accidentally expose their private information. You should avoid discussing your case altogether, other than with your attorney, if you are serious about maintaining privacy.
Protecting your privacy before the divorce is final
While complete privacy isn’t possible, these strategies can help reduce your personal exposure during this challenging time. Consider working with privacy-focused attorneys and creating a communications plan to manage information throughout the divorce process.