Mediating Best Friends Divorce: Should I Move In with Her and Ex?
"OP considers being a mediator between best friend and ex-husband post-divorce - Reddit users debate if this is a good idea or a recipe for disaster."
Some friendships hit the jackpot, best friends since childhood, until divorce shows up and turns the whole house into a battlefield. Sarah and Alex were married, now they are split, and somehow OP is the person both sides want standing in the middle of it all.
Sarah (26F) and Alex (28M) are fighting over everything, not just the big stuff. They are arguing about who keeps the dog, how to split savings, and even the TV they bought together, and the tension is so constant it feels like it lives in the room. Then both Sarah and Alex separately ask OP (27F) to move in with them as a mediator, with Sarah wanting emotional support and Alex pushing for calm and fairness.
Now OP is stuck asking if moving in with both of them is the right move, or the fastest way to become the next target in their divorce war.
Original Post
I (27F) have been best friends with Sarah (26F) since childhood. Recently, Sarah's marriage to Alex (28M) ended in a messy divorce.
Sarah and Alex have been fighting over everything - who keeps the dog, how to split their savings, even the TV they bought together. The tension has been unbearable.
They've both separately asked me to move in with them as a mediator to help ease the situation. Sarah wants me there to support her emotionally, while Alex hopes I can help keep things civil and fair.
I love them both and want to help, but I fear getting caught in the middle of their drama. Would I be the jerk if I agreed to move in with both of them in this delicate situation?
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This is like the step-sisters housing dispute where someone refused to let them move in with their family.
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Sarah wants OP there to back her up emotionally, and Alex wants OP there to keep the dog, the savings, and the TV arguments from spiraling again.
The minute OP starts picturing daily life with both of them, it gets messy fast, because they cannot even agree on who gets the TV they bought together.
Alex is basically asking OP to be the referee for “fair,” while Sarah is asking OP to be the emotional shield, and those roles do not mix cleanly.
If OP moves in, it means every new fight over the dog or the split savings turns into a test of where OP’s loyalties lie.
What do you think about this situation? Let us know in the comments.
Nobody’s going to thank OP for trying to mediate a divorce that includes the dog and the TV.
Before you take sides, read why one person was judged for declining to set up her ex with her best friend.
