5 Ways Using Social Media Could Affect Your Divorce

Today, social media is used by just about everyone. Platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat attract just about everyone to share snippets of their lives with their following. These sites are a great way to stay connected and have fun online. However, when you’re in the middle of a divorce, they should be used with great caution.

At this time Natalie is offering mediation services only

Unfortunately, social media has been used against divorcing parties when things get ugly. Information and photos on your social media are available to more eyes than you might think, and they could be available to your spouse during a legal discovery process. If you’re planning on having a successful divorce mediation, you don’t want any wrenches thrown in at the last minute from social media.

If you’re in the middle of a Tampa divorce, mediation, or collaborative divorce, proceed with caution as you use social media. Here are some reasons to use extra precaution on social media in relation to your divorce case:

Mentions of Kids
Any mention of your children on social media could be used against you if you ex is attempting to show you as an unfit parent. Posting criticisms or complaints about your kids might feel like innocent venting, but in the eyes of the court it could look like neglect or poor parenting.
Ex Talk
It might feel good to talk about your problems online. That sense of catharsis is important when you’re going through something stressful. However, finding a trustworthy individual you can confide in is a much better route. Posting your opinions about your ex online can be seen as trash talk and can easily be used as evidence against you in divorce court proceedings.
Divorce Disclosure
Your divorce is a private matter. Discussing your divorce (or anything that might relate to it) will leave you walking on thin ice. For example, it might seem totally harmless to celebrate the new car you just bought on Facebook. A contesting spouse might see this expensive purchase and question the financing that bought the car. By keeping your private divorce discussions offline, you’ll mitigate the chances of having something innocuous being used against you.
Publicity of the Internet
Even if you think you have the strictest privacy settings on your social media accounts, you should still consider the Internet a very public place. Anything you post online will essentially live there forever, and there are tons of hacking strategies to get past privacy barriers. Assume that anything you post will be seen by absolutely everyone, and don’t post something you don’t want available as public knowledge.
Post-Divorce Cleanse
It’s a good idea to do a post-divorce cleanse of your social media once your settlement is final. You’ll likely find friends of your ex-spouse that you might not want following your every move. Give some thought to the kind of audience you want on each platform, and keep your friends limited to people you really know and trust.

Social media is a very new player in the divorce game. It’s newness mean there are extra precautions that should be taken by anyone in the middle of a divorce. Well-meaning posts or photos could inadvertently be used against you in the courtroom or at the mediation table. No one wants that. For the guidance needed for a smooth and amicable divorce, contact the experts at Natalie Baird Mediation & Collaborative Divorce today.