Social media plays a pivotal role in most of our lives. It is where we find out about friends’ and loved ones’ engagements, promotions, new babies, and other milestone events. It is also where many of us seek comfort from friends in our times of need. Although you are probably feeling difficult emotions like anger, frustration, and resentment as you work through the divorce process, it is important that you keep these emotions off your social media channels. It can be difficult to use social media with this level of restraint, but failing to do so can make the divorce process much more difficult for you.
How? That depends on the circumstances of your divorce and what you post. For example, if you begin to date a new partner before your divorce is finalized, you are technically committing adultery. This can be used to argue against your “moral fitness” with regard to child custody or it can affect how your property is divided if your spouse argues that you spent money from your joint bank account on your new partner.
The Court Can Use Data from Social Media as Evidence
Photographs of you with your new partner, aggressive or disparaging status updates and comments toward your spouse, a member of his or her family, his or her lawyer, or the court, and any other content regarding your divorce may be used when determining your child’s primary residence, your alimony agreement, and your property division settlement.
Protect yourself from having social media impact your divorce by doing the following:
- Keep all negative opinions off social media. When you need to vent, do so in a journal or during a face-to-face conversation with a friend or loved one, not over the internet;
- Untag yourself from others’ photos, even seemingly innocuous ones. Do not post photos of yourself with a new partner, a recent large purchase, or engaging in behavior that can be deemed to be questionable by anybody, such as yourself drinking a beer. Even if a photo is completely innocent, it is possible to construe such photos in a way that cast you in a negative light; and
- Do not engage in social media drama. This can be the most difficult tip to follow, especially if you are receiving harassment from your spouse or others. If you are facing such harassment, it can be wise to simple deactivate your account or leave that platform altogether.
Work with an Orlando Divorce Attorney
When you are getting a divorce, it is in your best interest to stay off social media completely. But for some people, this is not an option. If you are ever unsure about whether something is appropriate to post on social media or not, err on the side of caution and refrain from posting it. For more detailed answers about the legal implications that can arise from social media posts, speak with an experienced divorce lawyer in Orlando. Contact The Law Offices of Aubrey Harry Ducker, Jr., PLLC today to schedule your free legal consultation with our firm.