Tips for Using Social Media During Divorce

Social media is ubiquitous. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace…where once people chatted in person, now they chat online — a lot.

As a Texas divorce and child custody attorney, I witness the pain of clients who discover online, or through text, that a spouse is cheating. I see photographs unwittingly revealed online that sabotage a divorce or child custody outcome.

Going through divorce is difficult and most people feel the need to share – with friends, family, and others if they are emotionally wounded or surprised. Too often people use Facebook or other online venues to share their anger, grief or exhilaration over divorce.

Information posted online is always out there. A 2010 survey of divorce lawyers belonging to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML) revealed 81 percent had seen an upswing in use of evidence gleaned from social media, especially Facebook.

Whether considering divorce, in the midst of a divorce, or down the road a few years, information and pictures you put out there can be used against you. If you want to be social, consider these tips before you post:

• Beware of friends; they may innocently post pictures that reflect poorly on you or forward material to your ex-partner
• Assume all content will be seen by legal counsel for your ex-partner; post nothing you regret
• Make use of privacy settings — while assuming all content will become public
• Avoid displays of luxury holidays, big-ticket toys, or party pictures during any stage of a divorce