Holding on to Mutual Friends After Divorce

There’s one type of asset that no divorce court can ever divide between spouses: their friends. Many people discover that some of their friends will side with their exes after the breakup.

Is it possible to maintain mutual friendships after the end of your marriage? Read on to learn more.

 Friend or Foe?

Many people remember former French president Nicolas Sarkozy and his gorgeous wife, Carla Bruni. How many people can recall his former wife, Cecila Attias?

In a 2011 interview with a Swiss journalist, Attias revealed that after her divorce from President Sarkozy, many of their mutual friends sided with him. While Attias is one of the more famous examples of someone to lose friends after a breakup, she is by no means alone. Many men and women complain that after their marriage ends, the people they thought were their friends side with their ex-spouse.

Why Is Holding on to Friends after Divorce So Hard?

If you’re in the situation where you’ve lost friends as a result of divorce, you’re probably spending a great deal of time wondering why that happened.

Relationship expert Judi James explains that people enjoy socializing with certain other people, even if those other people don’t always behave very well. Even if your husband left you for a younger woman, the friends you made as a couple will still take his “side,” because he throws a better party.

In the case of Cecilia Attias, it was fairly obvious as to why the friends she made with her husband stood by him after the divorce. He was president at the time, and he could offer those people greater rewards. Also, when Attias was a political wife, she was making friends to further her husband’s career – she wasn’t meeting people for the sake of her social life.

Not everyone has such base motives for choosing one ex over another. Some people simply don’t want to get caught in the middle of what could be a very messy divorce, and by remaining friends with both former partners, there’s a risk of that happening.

Galbraith Family Law: Your Divorce Law Experts

Are you concerned about the impact of divorce on your personal life? Talk to Galbraith Family Law today.

Galbraith Family Law is a certified Collaborative Practice, and has been named the top firm in Barrie multiple times. Our legal insights have also been featured in the Globe and Mail, as well as Lawyers Weekly.

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