4 Things to Avoid When Using Social Media During Your Divorce

 Posted on November 19, 2021 in Divorce

Even though smartphones are a relatively recent invention, they have become an essential part of many people’s daily lives. Using a phone to send text messages, perform online searches, look up directions, and complete other activities can be very convenient, but one of the primary benefits these devices offer is the ability to connect with and communicate with others. Browsing social networking sites such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter, sending messages to friends and acquaintances, and posting photos, videos, and status updates are all activities that people do on a daily basis. However, for those who are going through a divorce, these activities may have some unintended consequences. By understanding how certain uses of social media may affect the divorce process, you can avoid doing anything that may make it more difficult for you to end your marriage quickly and efficiently.

Social Media “Don’ts” During Your Divorce

As you work to resolve the issues that must be addressed when ending your marriage, you will want to be sure to avoid the following:

• Using shared computers or devices - If you and your spouse are still living in the same home, you may both use a family computer or other devices, such as tablets. If you stay logged in to your social media accounts on these devices, your spouse may be tempted to look at the private messages you have sent or other personal information. To avoid this issue, you may want to limit your activity to personal devices that are not used by your spouse. It is also a good idea to change your passwords on all of your online accounts to ensure that you will be able to protect your privacy.

• Making negative or combative comments about your spouse - It is usually best to avoid  “airing your dirty laundry” online. Staying quiet about your divorce can be difficult, especially if you are used to using social media to express your thoughts, complain about problems, or update friends and family about your life. However, making negative comments about your spouse or the divorce process or arguing with them in a public forum will most likely make it more difficult for the two of you to reach agreements when creating a divorce settlement. To avoid dragging out the divorce process, you will want to do your best to stay civil and minimize conflict both online and offline.

• Sharing information related to your finances - There are a variety of issues that could affect the decisions made about financial matters during your divorce, and posts made on social media may lead to disputes in these areas. For example, if you post pictures of a recent purchase such as a new watch, jewelry, a video game system, you may be accused of dissipating marital assets. Other types of posts, such as pictures of a vacation that you have taken, may be used by your spouse to claim that you have not reported income or assets. Since these posts may affect issues such as property division, spousal maintenance, or child support, you will want to avoid sharing anything that may be related to your income or financial situation.

• Doing anything that could affect your children - If you and your spouse need to resolve issues related to child custody, you will want to avoid sharing anything that could be used to call your parenting abilities into question. This may include posts discussing alcohol or drug use or pictures that may indicate that you are more focused on a relationship with a new partner than caring for your kids. Even sarcastic comments, such as saying that the divorce process is so difficult that it makes you want to die, could be used to question your mental health and parental fitness. 

Contact Our Kane County Divorce and Social Media Lawyers

In many cases, it can be a good idea to stop using social media during your divorce. However, this is not always possible, and if you do share photos or post information online, you will want to make sure that this will not affect your ability to complete the divorce process. At Goostree Law Group, we can discuss any concerns you may have about how social media or other factors will affect your divorce, and we will work to help you end your marriage and move on successfully to the next phase of your life. Contact our St. Charles divorce attorneys today at 630-584-4800 to arrange a free consultation.

Sources:

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/better-divorce/202111/marriage-divorce-and-social-media-recipe-disaster

https://www.austinmonthly.com/going-through-a-divorce-get-off-social-media/

https://www.greatlakesdfs.com/blog/social-media-during-divorce