Social Media & The Divorce Process

Going Through a Divorce? Be Careful What You Share on Social Media

Many of us enjoy going on social media sites, and it's no wonder. Facebook and Twitter allow us to tell our online friends about what's going on in our lives. With a few clicks of the mouse, we can share random thoughts, reveal what we are reading online, and post messages to each other. While all this contact with our online friends can be quite innocent, the stakes can be much higher for people going through a divorce.

Social Media Posts are Not Private

Once you post something on a social media site, it's in cyberspace forever. Not only will it appear in your timeline, but they will also show up in an online search for your name or your user name. If you have been making inappropriate or controversial comments about a topic, this information used to attack your character and paint you as an unfit parent (if there are minor children involved).

Posting pictures of yourself drinking, smoking or engaging in unsafe or otherwise questionable activities can also come back to haunt you when your marriage is ending. It's one thing to have done something that may not have been very well thought out in the past, but posting the pictures online means that your former spouse now has proof which can be used to his or her benefit.

Your Friend List is Not Private

You may not give much thought to who your online friends are, but who you know takes on a greater significance when you are getting a divorce. It's not uncommon for people who are stepping out on their spouse to friend the person they are involved with online. With a little bit of detective work, the development of the extramarital relationship can be tracked.

Social Media Posts can be Shared with Others

Social media can be compared to an old fashioned telephone party line. Anyone could pick up the receiver in their home and listen in on a conversation which was taking place. With this type of system, everyone who was using the phone knew that there was no guarantee of privacy .Social media site users may not realize that your friends and your friends' friends may be able to see everything you post.

Even Positive Comments About Your Ex Can Affect Your Divorce

How can saying something nice have an impact on marital property distribution or child custody matters? If you ever posted something about what a good responsible person or parent your former spouse is online, you will have to do some serious backpedaling to explain why you have changed your mind now.

If you are going through a divorce, you can't be too careful about what you are sharing online. A good rule to keep in mind is that if you wouldn't put something on a billboard at the busiest intersection in your city or town, then you probably shouldn't share it online either.