How Social Media Can Hurt Your Divorce Case

 Posted on May 21, 2018 in Family Law

Unwise social media posts during your divorce can do damage to your case and personal reputation. Social media users either forget that their posts are public or are under the mistaken impression that the content is private. As long as someone can view your account, you should assume that any post can make its way to the people you do not want to see it, including:

• Your former spouse;
• Your children; or
• Your employer.

You must exercise caution and restraint with your social media accounts during your divorce because you may feel tempted to post content that could later hurt you.

Problem Posts

Going through a divorce causes feelings of stress and resentment towards your spouse, which may cloud your judgment when using social media. You may want to post updates that are meant to attack your spouse or make him or her feel jealous. You may also be so excited to share information about yourself that you do not consider how your spouse could use it against you during the divorce. Examples include:

• Disclosing embarrassing information about your spouse;
• Openly insulting your spouse;
• Showing off a new romantic interest; and
• Sharing your recent spending and partying activities.

How It Hurts

A damaging social media post can have legal and personal ramifications. Showing off an expensive purchase may create questions about how you paid for it. You could be penalized if you misused marital funds. Other posts can reflect poorly on your character. Your spouse may use posts as evidence that you are irresponsible as a parent. You also must consider whether your children might see your posts. Reading disparaging comments about their other parent puts them in an awkward position and may damage your relationship with them.

Protecting Yourself

The danger of social media posts is that you can make them with little thought and may be unable to get rid of the evidence after they have gone public. If your spouse subpoenas your social media accounts during your divorce, deleting your accounts or your posts may be considered destroying evidence. The safest social media tactic during divorce is to not post anything. You can briefly announce to your friends and followers that you are taking a hiatus from social media while you deal with personal matters. You may also want to block posts from your spouse so that you are not tempted to respond to his or her content.

Divorce Strategy

Your behavior during your divorce can affect your negotiations over the division of marital property and allocation of parental responsibilities. A Kane County divorce attorney at Geneva Family Lawyers can advise you on how to present yourself during your case. To schedule a free consultation, call 331-588-6611.

Source:

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-morrow/a-look-at-how-social-medi_b_10633940.html