Our law firm frequently deals with issues that result from a parent’s use of social media. Social media provides an open forum for anyone going through a divorce or custody dispute to declare their feelings to their friends and followers. Unfortunately, an ill-advised tweet or Facebook post can have a significant impact on your case.
If you are planning to go through a divorce or custody dispute anytime soon, it might be time to cut back your online presence. Popular social media sites like Facebook, Instagram, MySpace, Twitter, Flickr, and Photobucket have become the latest frontier in divorce and custody contests. In fact, these sites often provide a treasure trove of information about a person’s recent travels, who they were with, what they were doing, and how they behaved.
A simple rule for social media is – THINK BEFORE YOU POST! Ask yourself before you post, share, tweet, or otherwise engage on social media - “What would a court think of my social share?” If you post terrible things about your spouse, then don’t be surprised when a court believes you are a vengeful person. If you are requesting alimony, a court is unlikely to be sympathetic if you’re posting pictures of recent trips, dining at fancy restaurants, weekend get-aways, or shiny new toys. If you are claiming that you don’t drink excessively, it’s probably not a good idea to post photos showing you holding up a bottle of tequila and appearing intoxicated.
