Social Media Can Have a Significant Effect on Your Divorce
by
Thomas L. Dickson on Apr. 13, 2015
Divorce & Family Law Divorce & Family Law Divorce Divorce & Family Law Family Law
Summary: An attorney may advise a client to stay off social media, but too many spouses ignore this and post photos or status updates that they believe are harmless.
During a divorce, you should always be on your best behavior and never do anything that may negatively impact your case. In modern times, this includes posting anything questionable on any type of social media, such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and similar sites. Though an attorney may advise a client to stay off social media, too many spouses ignore this and post photos or status updates that they believe are harmless. What may be harmless to you, however, may be used against you by your spouse and his or her attorney.
Social media can affect
financial and custody decisions
A common scenario involving social media and divorce is as follows:
- A wife claims that she does not have the means to support herself and pay her bills and is requesting significant spousal support. However, she then posts photos of a recent shopping spree as well as a vacation to Las Vegas. The husband then uses the photos as evidence that the wife has substantial disposable income and does not require spousal support.
Because she was not saying anything negative regarding the divorce case itself or her spouse, the wife likely did not realize there was anything wrong with posting the photos. Another scenario occurs when spouses are battling for custody of the children and can go as follows:
- A mother is seeking full custody of the children, claiming that the father is constantly partying and dating several women. However, the mother then posts photos of herself at a work event holding a glass a wine with her arm around her male coworker. The husband then uses the photo to allege that the mom is also out drinking and dating other men. This one seemingly harmless photo can cause serious complications in a custody case.
The above are only some examples of issues that may arise due to social media posts in a divorce case. This is only one of many reasons why you should have an experienced divorce attorney advising you throughout your divorce case. At the Dickson Law Group in Seattle and Tacoma, we take care to thoroughly advise every client on every detail of a divorce case.
