Social media plays a huge role in today’s society. There are so many variations of platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Snapchat, and Instagram, which allow you to instantly document your every move. However, such dependence on social media when going through a divorce proceeding may not have the best impact on the outcome of your divorce. Many people believe that deactivating your account during your divorce proceeding is the best route to take. But, the deactivation of all your accounts could potentially be viewed as though you have something to hide such as concealing your assets or information from your spouse or their legal team. Additionally, it can raise issues of destruction of evidence along with concerns of preservation of evidence. It is important to recognize that with social media and divorce you must assume that everything you post can and will be seen by both your spouse along with their legal team. Unfortunately, social media can hurt your divorce proceeding by providing ammunition to the opposing legal team.
- Pictures- Individuals who are involved in a divorce proceeding should be cautious when posting pictures on social media. For instance, images of you drinking or partying can be used as proof that you are an unfit parent and can become evidence in a custody battle.
- Status updates- During your divorce proceeding it is important to avoid posting statuses that are negative about your soon to be ex spouse or even the pending court case.
- New purchases- Posting images of new purchases can be detrimental when determining spousal support. It is a good idea to think twice when posting a picture of your new car or home during this process.
- Private messages- It is important to remember that even your private messages are up for grabs in the discovery process. Do not put anything in writing that you do not want a judge to read as if it exists on social media, it can be found. Think of social media activity as both public and permanent.
In conclusion, it is important to remember to exercise control and common sense with social media during a divorce. If you are aware of any scandalous posts that can be used against you before filing you should think about taking those pictures down because it will be too late during the pendency of the action. When immersed in a divorce proceeding and you decide to deactivate your account or take down some of your pictures you may be penalized as you do have a duty to maintain copies of what was posted. Just keep in mind that all members of the public can view and track your posts so think carefully before you post anything and take anything down. To keep it safe during the litigation period it is best to stick to pictures of such things as your pet or uplifting quotes.
