Friendly Fire

In a perfect world, each party involved in a divorce will end up with his or her fair share of assets, including friends. However, divorce experts say that after all is said and done, it's usually the more dominant character that ends up keeping a majority of the friends. In the case of Cécilia Attias, the former wife of France's President Nicolas Sarkozy, if one spouse holds more social power than the other, it's very difficult to hold on to your social circle.

"I was betrayed by close friends. I don't hold it against them. Such is human nature," she told a Swiss newspaper. "I understand that the gold of the French Republic could tempt more than one."

Attias may be charming and beautiful, but it's her husband who holds the keys to the Elysée Palace. This betrayal is indeed unfortunate and unfair and you don't have to be married to a former world leader to suffer a similar fate. However, this type of experience can also be extremely valuable.

If your former friends are so anxious to jump ship during your difficult time, were they ever actually true friends in the first place? Like Attias, you're likely to have a small circle of family members and confidants who will stand by you no matter what. Focus on the love and support they're willing to give and be happy you have a chance to root out some of the negative forces in your life. [The Independent]