During a divorce, it is natural to want to vent and share your frustrations with friends. For a lot of people, social media might seem like the obvious venue to do this. After all, if you’re already sharing the important (and not-so-important) details of your life online, wouldn’t it make sense to talk about your divorce too?
In reality, though, talking about your divorce online is risky business. For this reason, many San Diego divorce attorneys recommend that their clients avoid social media altogether. With that said, if you choose to keep using social media websites during your divorce, there are some things you need to know:
- Anything you post can be used as evidence: This goes for Facebook status updates, Instagram photos and even emails. Before you post or send anything, ask yourself how you would feel if it was shown to a judge. If the answer is “not good,” then keep it offline.
- You might not always know who your “friends” are: Don’t make the mistake of assuming everyone who is your friend on Facebook or who follows you on Twitter is on your side. Even if you have blocked your ex, it is still possible that someone will take notice of your postings and send them his or her way.
- It doesn’t have to be about divorce to be dangerous: Of course, bad-mouthing your ex is something you obviously shouldn’t do. But, even innocuous-seeming posts can get you in trouble. For example, a post about an exciting first date may lead your ex to argue that you are exposing your children to unhealthy situations at home and are therefore unfit to be awarded child custody. A picture from vacation could cause your ex to assert that you are hiding assets or that you don’t really need the alimony you are asking for.
- You are under investigation: Unless you and your ex are in complete agreement about every aspect of your divorce, there is a good chance that your ex’s attorney is investigating most of the details of your life. As part of this, he or she will likely pull as much information as possible from your social media accounts and compare it to the disclosures and assertions you have made. Any contradictions that arise could do serious damage to your case.
These are just a few of the many issues that could arise if you use social media during divorce. As with all divorce-related issues, it is important to talk with your San Diego family attorney about any social media concerns you might have.
