Spare Yourself the Trouble of Social Media During a Divorce

You might not think it’s an issue, but the fact of the matter is that people find themselves facing problems in Divorce Court all the time as a result of bad decisions relating to social media.  That’s right, attorneys these days report seeing quite an uptick in the appearance of text messages and emails, and particularly of social media posts, in court proceedings.  Before you consider posting something that would serve you better as a private memory, consider the facts.

You Need to Know… 

In a survey conducted by the National Law Review, in excess of 80 percent of divorce attorneys reported finding something unsavory on social media pages that they could use against a former spouse in divorce proceedings.  Nearly 70 percent of that was discovered on Facebook, although Snapchat, Instagram, and other sources were rich sources of information, as well.  And the truth is, if pictures and text are legally obtained, they can be used in court to paint an unseemly image of you.

You Deleted it… 

Good for you.  That’s an important step, but it doesn’t necessarily get you out of hot water.  That’s because even though it’s no longer on your device, it could have been saved by someone else, and be ripe for the printing.  Even if no one has saved it, we all know that anything out there in cyberspace never really disappears.  With a subpoena it can likely be retrieved and used against you in court.

How Can it Impact you Now? 

Divorce attorneys sleuth these things out for a good reason:  objectionable material can be used to paint a picture of you that leads to better outcomes for their clients.  For example, a collection of you on several occasions drinking could be used to depict you as someone who drinks too much.  Angry rants you’ve posted could make you look deranged and be used to support your former spouse’s request for a restraining order. Worse yet, you could be portrayed as an unfit parent, seriously impacting your custody and/or visitation arrangements.  Finally, if multiple posts make you look like a big spender, it could convince a judge that perhaps your ex deserves a bigger piece of the pie in the divorce.  None of these outcomes may be justified, but pictures can tell a story that, while inaccurate, resonates well nonetheless.

Your Advocate 

Divorce is difficult enough without the complications that can come with unwise social media posts.  At WiseLieberman, PLLC our Boca Raton divorce lawyers have seen plenty of shenanigans in divorce court, and would like to spare you from the worst of it.  For a confidential consultation, contact our office today.

Resource:

natlawreview.com/article/family-law-social-media-evidence-divorce-cases