How Social Media Affects Your Divorce

Think Twice About What You Put on Social Media: It Could Harm Your Divorce Case

Social media is more popular than ever, and you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t use it, or at least know about it. Some use it as a way to announce news they are happy about, whereas others use it to vent negatively about matters. You must be careful what you post, however, as what you say could harm your divorce.

Keep this in mind: your spouse’s attorney is looking for anything she can to make you look like a bad person and negligent parent, and she will use whatever she can, including pictures from a social media site, to do so.

Social Media Posts to Avoid

Before you walk into a Howard County courtroom to end your marriage and fight for your children, make sure you won’t have these types of posts on your page:

Posts About Partying

Writing about how drunk or high you were makes you look like a bad parent, at least in the eyes of most judges. Furthermore, if you post about your partying lifestyle on the days or nights in which you were supposed to be caring for your children, you could end up in serious trouble. Avoid posting any kind of information that could make it seem as though you engage in this type of behavior.

Posts About Presents or Purchases

One of the biggest issues that has to be dealt with when it comes to divorce is money. If you are dealing with deciding on child or spousal support, or any other financial situation in your divorce, you should avoid posts about any purchases you made or presents you received. Additionally, avoid posting about vacations or any kind of information that has to do with your financial situation. If you’re claiming a large amount of your spouse’s assets, yet your latest status updates talk about your consideration of a new convertible or a shopping trip to New York, that could make you appear frivolous.

Posts About Legal Matters

Going through a divorce is difficult; however, avoid venting about it on social media. Airing your personal business on these sites leaves you open to letting strangers into you and your family’s lives. If you need to talk about your divorce, do so with your friends, family, or your lawyer.

Pictures of Your Boyfriend or Girlfriend

Even if you and your ex agreed to see other people, posting pictures of him or her on social media sites may only lead to trouble. The judge could decide that you’ve had an extramarital affair because of these pictures, which could significantly harm your divorce case. Resist posting pictures of or information about any significant other.

Other Social Media Dangers

One of the dangers of social media is that the information you put on your site is often misconstrued and can look damaging, even when it isn’t.

Relationship Status

Your personal relationships often come into play heavily when you are going through a divorce. You need to be extra cautious with whom you are connected to in social media when you begin the process of divorce. Changes in relationship status can often be misconstrued or interpreted against your favor, if they are changed too quickly on Facebook. It is a good idea to block this information from your profile entirely rather than switch to single right away or even “it’s complicated” as this can often be used negatively by your spouse’s attorney.

Dangerous “Friends”

You also need to be wary of what your social media connections post about you on their profiles. Just because you didn’t post it to your own profile doesn’t mean it can’t be connected to you. If you and your spouse have mutual friends, and your friend posts some content that’s unflattering about either one of you, remember that the other side can see that and use it against you.

An Attorney Can Help

In cases where division of assets or child custody is at stake, you’ll need to have a good set of evidence to prove your case in court. The way you’re portrayed through your social media profiles can be of particular importance when claiming your entitlement to marital property and assets.

Knowing where to turn to when you have a question or concern about your social media usage is extremely important, and an attorney from Jimeno & Gray, P.A., can answer any questions you may have.

We know exactly what the court looks for on social media in a divorce case, and just how damaging many of the posts people think are innocent actually are.

Contact us today to speak with one of our experienced divorce lawyers about your situation and find out how we may be able to help. Request your free copy of the book What Your Spouse Doesn’t Want You to Know: The Ultimate Guide to Divorce in Maryland, written by attorney Frank C. Gray, Jr., when you call.