The 10 Commandments of Divorce

Sept. 3, 2009 - PRLog -- A relationship with his children, his sanity and his money--Most men traversing the divorce landscape lose at least one of these, some lose two and many lose all three. So what is a guy supposed to do? A man who finds himself with divorce papers in hand would be wise to heed a few of these commandments  while navigating the divorce process. If he does, he is guaranteed an exit  process  with less damage to his children, his mental health and his wallet.

With special mention to Jon Gosselin, Eddie Cibrian, Gov. Mark Sanford, Mel Gibson, Alex Rodriguez and the litany of men parading through the headlines for violation of the 1st Commandment.


1.   Thou shalt not covet the nanny, the babysitter, the secretary, the girl next door, the understanding co-worker,  the exotic dancer who "wants to go back to college", or that hot single mom who "just wants to be friends," UNTIL your divorce is FINAL.

2.   Honor your sons and daughters: fatherhood is a blessing. Nurture, protect and financially support your children. Thy progeny shall under no circumstances be used as a political football, despite such antics by other parties. Looking back in 20 years all that will matter to you from this sordid chapter is how you treated your kids, and how they came out of it.

3.   Thou shalt be discreet. Save all confessions for your priest or your lawyer. Thy shall in particular resist the powerful natural impulse to seek the counsel of mutual friends of your spouse, to get them "on your side."

4.   Thou shalt keep thy mouth shut.  Remember to keep the Hemancipation warning holy: “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to speak to a divorce financial advisor so get one.”

5.   Thou shalt not be naive. Pre-divorce planning is an art of war practiced by women. Do not underestimate the potential for deception and treachery when lots of money is involved. If divorce papers are in hand it's probably too late to cover your A_ _ or your assets.

6.   Thou shalt not spend the next six months trying to get your wife to change her mind. You’ve been FIRED, move on. You can't run to the other huddle once the ref has blown the whistle.  Remember the 4th commandment.

7.   Thou shalt not turn your divorce into a contact sport. You get zero points for being adversarial and no home court advantage, just more opportunities for turnovers.

8.   Thou shalt not send anything via e-mail or text that you would not want to see on a highway billboard.

9.   Thou shalt remember that marriage is the leading cause of divorce, and thou shalt not marry the first woman you meet or date after your divorce is final. Second marriages have a 75 percent divorce rate and third marriages have a 95 percent divorce rate. Take your time, get used to being single and loving it.

If you violate the Ninth Commandment, please obey the Tenth…

10.    Thou shalt not marry without a prenup. Violation of this commandment will damn you to a financial hell paved with your good intent. A place where your dog doesn’t recognize you and the flames are stoked high with your retirement dollars. No exceptions for beauty, youth, exotica, multiple orgasms …or long, shiny hair.

# # #

Hemancipation--The world's first "Man-agement Specialists" is committed to providing lifestyle management services for men facing life transitions such as divorce, relocation or other major life changes.