What You Need to Know About Social Media When Going Through Divorce

 Posted on December 12, 2019 in Family Law

These days, many people rush to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and many other social media profiles to tell their friends and followers about what is happening in their life. If you are going through a divorce though, you may want to think twice before hitting “post.” Using social media, especially if you use it in the wrong way, could seriously hurt you in your divorce and can have a very real effect on what kind of settlement you receive. Below are some things you should know about social media and how to use it, or not use it, when going through a divorce.

Do Not Post About Your Divorce

One of the worst things you can do during your divorce is post about it on social media. If you use social media to vent about your ex or talk about your divorce, it is likely going to be held against you in the future. There is a good chance that you need to talk to someone about what you are going through. However, it is a much better idea to speak to a friend privately about it, or even speak to a therapist. These are confidential conversations that will not be used against you later.

The best advice is to refrain from posting to social media altogether during your divorce. If you cannot do that though, make sure anything you post has nothing to do with your marital relationship, property division, child custody issues, or anything else pertaining to your divorce.

Review Your Entire Account

It is not only the current status of your social media accounts that could hurt you. Anything you have posted in the past could also work against you. Carefully review all of your past posts and remove any that could be considered risqué or damaging. While you are reviewing everything, make sure you also remove any questionable friends. These are people that may report back to your ex about anything you may post to social media. Remove them from your ‘Friends’ or ‘Followers’ list to ensure that nothing you do post ends up in the wrong hands.

Also, make sure that you review your privacy settings. If any of your accounts are public, people will be able to see them even if they do not follow you. This could again, be used against you to reduce the amount of spousal support you receive, or it could affect other terms of your divorce. Lock your accounts up tight and make sure all of them are set to ‘private.’

Contact Our Illinois Divorce Lawyers for Help

There is a lot to know when getting a divorce. There are a lot of seemingly innocent actions that could end up hurting you, and a lot of advice you likely did not even know you needed. If you are going through a divorce, call our dedicated Hinsdale divorce lawyers at the Law Office of Martoccio & Martoccio for the help you need. We have the experience necessary to walk you through every aspect of your divorce and make sure your rights are protected along the way. Call us today at 630-920-8855 for your free consultation.

Source:

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/ilcs4.asp?ActID=2086&ChapterID=59&SeqStart=6000000&SeqEnd=8300000