Can Your Divorce Stunt Your Career?

January 17, 2017 • By Inna Materese

No one needs to be told that divorce is a Big Life Event with personal and emotional fallout. Indeed, research shows that divorce is second on the list of traumatic life events…second, only to a death of a close loved one. While we naturally focus on the personal consequences of divorce, the impact of your divorce on your job is often overlooked.

As with many things, our TVs have provided a reminder over the past couple of weeks. In recent months, it’s been revealed that two of HGTV’s popular shows are impacted by the personal family law matters of its stars. Tarek and Christina El Moussa, stars of HGVT’s “Flip or Flop,” recently revealed that they are divorcing but intend to keep working together in their home-flipping ventures. Similarly, Nicole Curtis, star of “Rehab Addict,” has been privately going through a difficult custody battle over her 16-month-old son, Harper. Both shows have been impacted by the personal turmoil of their subjects. Questions about whether “Flip or Flop” will continue (or whether viewers will tune in to the divorcing couple) have abound amid tabloid press regarding the details of the El Moussa divorce. Curtis’ filming schedule has likewise been on hold as she appeared to be dealing with the fallout of her custody case (happily, filming is now back on).

These famous examples beg the question: can your divorce stunt your career? Being aware of the very notion that your divorce may impact your job performance may just be the best way to stem its effect.