Going Back to Work After Divorce

Going back to work after divorce is not easy. You might be like many stay-at-home moms who gave up their careers to raise children. While you found the work of running the family and nurturing the kids very rewarding, you also found that it was lots of hard work!

When you're getting divorced, the divorce court judge is going to expect you to go back to work and support yourself and your children. Yes, you can receive child support and alimony, but in most cases, you're also going to be expected to get a job to contribute financially to your own lifestyle.

And going back to work can bring a lot of feelings with it. You might feel insecure about your skills because you've been away from the job for so long. Or you might be worried about how much money you'll be able to make. Or how you'll manage both a career and all of the schedules for your kids. These fears are totally normal!

On this week's episode of the Find Me The Money podcast, I talk with Jackie Pilossoph, the founder of Divorced Girl Smiling, about going back to work about divorce. Jackie is the perfect person to talk about this because she has been there!

Jackie took a break from her career to raise her children, and then found herself in the middle of a divorce with two toddlers, no family in town, and feeling very isolated and alone. She had been a stay-at-home-mom for five years, with a husband who made a lot of money at the time. 

She felt traumatized when she was told that she had to go back to work and leave her kids in daycare. But she conquered her fears and found that she and her children were able to THRIVE after she went back to work.

Jackie understands the fears of entering the workforce after a break, but also wants to tell you about all the good things that can come from going back to work. Hint: she told me there were so many benefits, she didn't even know if she could get through them all on the podcast. She described herself as going back to work kicking and screaming, and yet Jackie jumped right in, made progress in her career, and today has a life she could only dream of prior to her divorce. 

Here are some of the benefits to going back to work shared by Jackie...

• Becoming financially independent and not dependent on your ex-spouse
• Better confidence and self-worth because you are able to support yourself and your children.
• Your kids will get a chance to see you tackle what has seemed impossible
• The time you have with your kids will be special and valuable because it isn't limitless
• Your ability to save for your retirement

One of the best parts of talking with Jackie was hearing her positivity about what a bright future women can have on their own. You are smarter and more organized than you know, and you can do this! Staying home can make you lose a sense of self that you can gain back going back to work. It will be hard and you may struggle, but there are positives to making your own income. The ability to provide for yourself and your children is an amazing goal to accomplish! 

Listen to our episode to hear everything Jackie shared and some of her amazing tips for you.