A high-stakes divorce is never just personal. Public perception becomes part of the challenge. As you handle the legal and financial issues, you must also consider how the outside world perceives your situation.
Reputation risk extends far beyond rumors. Your divorce could trigger negative headlines that threaten your standing. A damaged reputation can impact your business. Bad press can damage perceptions among partners, investors, and clients, putting your career at risk.
Even your children may be caught in the crossfire if their identities are revealed. This can be just as much added pressure on them as it is on you. Their privacy and safety may be at risk if the issue isn’t addressed promptly.
In high profile cases, public relations professionals can help address these issues by monitoring public sentiment about your divorce and strategically shifting the conversation. They can put a buffer between you and the media, giving you the breathing room needed to tackle everything on your plate right now.
Staying proactive about your public image is essential. Your law firm should be familiar with working with a public relations firms to help control the narrative and preserve your reputation.
Crafting a Narrative About the Divorce
It may seem like a good idea to simply ignore chatter about your divorce and respond with a “no comment” if asked. However, silence won’t stop the presses from running. If you don’t tell the story of your divorce, someone else will do it for you. The tale most likely won’t be flattering.
A PR firm can work with your attorney to make sure your divorce story is being told the way it should be right down to the words used to describe it.
For example, the media may tell the public that your marriage was “tumultuous.” A public relations professional will describe it as “a challenging relationship you worked hard to mend,” in order to soften the perception of you.
PR agencies craft narratives by anticipating bad publicity. This includes possible false allegations against you. They write responses in advance, so they can be released before negative narratives spread. Although you can’t control everything, like if private information is leaked to the press despite a gag order being in place, PR can help put out a fire before it taints your public image.
Optimizing Your Story
Ideally, you’ll not only respond to claims during your divorce; you’ll also share your full story to shape public perception. Public relations professionals can create plans to optimize your story through professional biographies, press releases, and blog posts about your work and personal activities.
Have you donated money to a cause you believe in? Have you given your time to a charity? Have you served on the board of a community organization? Have you reached a career milestone and received recognition for your hard work?
PR can showcase these activities to highlight your role in the community, not just your divorce. This demonstrates you’re more than headlines: you’re a parent, child, friend, and asset to others.
The benefits don’t stop there. When a PR company releases material about all the good you’re doing, it can help push negative press off the first page of search results. The positive messaging becomes the real story, and the controversy becomes secondary.
With the rise of AI-driven search summaries, skilled PR specialists consider not only their impact on search results but also on what these summaries communicate about you. These AI systems pull information from news articles, blogs, and online records, so public relations experts proactively guide these messages to better reflect your perspective.
Since negative news can appear in AI-generated summaries, PR firms develop tailored strategies, such as Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), to ensure your side of the story is prominent. They focus on publishing rebuttals and positive narratives that AI is likely to incorporate into its responses.
When facing negative coverage, public relations strategies can ensure that AI systems include your perspective or corrections in the summaries they generate. This means your carefully crafted responses and accurate information are more likely to be included in the record AI pulls from, allowing your side to be heard rather than drowned out by controversy.
Creating Social Media Strategies
PR agents can advise you on how to best present yourself on your platforms. Not only will you get advice on what to post and what not to post online, but you’ll also learn the best ways to manage your privacy settings so the information you share is only viewed by those who are meant to see it.
In an environment where it’s all too easy to overshare, especially when people are going through challenging times, having a trusted advisor to help you manage your social media presence can make a huge difference. Remember, anything you say on social media can and will be used against you in your divorce.
Proper Placement
Sometimes, who is telling your story is just as important as the story itself. Since PR companies have built long-standing relationships with journalists and publications, they can secure meaningful media coverage for their clients. Instead of stories based on knee-jerk reactions and misinformation, PR helps you tell your story through people who understand the complexities of divorce laws and the nuances of high-stakes divorces.
Keeping Information Confidential
Your attorney may be able to secure a gag order in your divorce case to prevent details from getting out. However, it’s not a perfect solution. Anyone with access to information can leak it to the press whether it’s your ex or a court employee who wants to release juicy gossip to the public. Once it’s out there, it can work against you.
Public relations can use an unfortunate leak to your advantage by pressing reporters to tell both sides of your divorce story fairly. The issues in the gag order can’t be addressed directly, but since reporters are interested in the leak, PR agencies can set the record straight about other areas where you may not have gotten fair coverage.
Maintaining Post-Divorce Reputation Management
Your reputation management shouldn’t end when the divorce papers are signed. PR also considers the image you project after your divorce. No one gets out of a high-stakes divorce unscathed, but there are ways to clean up any damage that’s been done to your image. PR firms suggest ways to amplify positive activities that build prestige while avoiding activities that could generate negative publicity.
Reputation issues don’t exist in a vacuum. Work with a law firm that understands PR and can actively protect your business, your brand, and your credibility before problems escalate. Contact our skilled divorce attorneys at Bikel Rosenthal & Schanfield online or at 212.682.6222 to discuss your case.