Four Reasons to Stay Off Social Media During Divorce

 Posted on September 10, 2018 in Kane County family law attorney

Social media is a potential pitfall for divorcees because your spouse can use the content you post against you in your case. Social media users often share information about themselves without considering who can see it and how others could interpret it. You can best protect yourself by not posting anything on your social media account during your divorce. There are several ways that remaining active on social media can hurt you in a divorce case:

1. Your Content Reflects Your Character: Your behavior during your divorce can influence a court’s decision on the allocation of parental responsibilities and the division of property. People often post pictures of themselves on social media having fun or out with friends. Your spouse could portray a seemingly innocent post as evidence that you are irresponsible as a parent and budgeter of your finances. Defending yourself against these accusations distracts you from other work in your divorce.
2. You May Say Something You Regret: Your spouse will frustrate you at times during your divorce. Unfortunately, social media allows you to publicly voice your complaints before you have time to think about the consequences of what you said. Public complaints will create further tension with your spouse and undermine your negotiations. You may also alienate friends and family who are uncomfortable being involved in your divorce arguments.
3. Posts Are Never Truly Private: You may think that you can hide your social media content by changing your privacy settings. How can your spouse use your social media against you if he or she cannot see your accounts? You cannot be sure that what you post will always stay private. Your social media connections can publicly share your content, and your former spouse is likely connected to some of them.
4. Deleting Posts Could Get You in Trouble: You may not be allowed to hide or take back regrettable social media posts that you made during your divorce. Courts consider social media content that is relevant to your divorce to be evidence in your case. Deleting a post could qualify as spoiling evidence and gives the impression that you have something to hide. The court could fine you and force you to turn over the evidence.

The Role of Social Media in Divorce

Your social media history can be useful during your divorce case if it shows evidence of marital assets or the nature of your relationship with your children. However, you risk damaging your case if you continue to post to social media during your divorce. A Kane County divorce attorney at Van Larson Law, P.C., will advise you on how to behave during your divorce. To schedule a consultation, call 630-879-9090.

Source:

https://insights.itsovereasy.com/approaching-social-media-divorce