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The enemy of fair divorce litigation: social media

On Behalf of | Mar 31, 2014 | Divorce |

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While most Belleville, Illinois, residents may be accustomed to using popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter on a daily basis, there are instances when posting something as simple as a photo or status update is inadvisable. Social media is playing an increasing role in divorce litigation around the country, and can have serious consequences on the outcome of a case. Here are a few key points about the dangers of social media figuring into a divorce dispute.
When facing divorce litigation, it’s important to remember that many seemingly private factors can come in to play, like job applications, credit card statements, and social media accounts. And when it comes to anything posted online, nothing is sacred.

Context is everything
Because it is so difficult to police social media to ensure that one’s words are not taken out of context, it is recommended that individuals refrain from posting anything while they’re in the middle of divorce proceedings. After all, no one wants to be put in the position of explaining what they said and why.

On a similar note, sometimes individuals are asked by the court to account for the social media postings of others. Issues have arisen in child custody cases over the actions of parents when there is evidence to suggest that a child may be engaging in illegal or unsafe activities. Even though a picture is worth a thousand words, one image does not tell the whole story.
Nothing is private or escapable

Just because many social media websites have the option to add or remove “friends,” that doesn’t mean that anyone is truly blocked from seeing content on another person’s page. Likewise, deleting comments and photos does not necessarily ensure that they will not be brought up as evidence later on.

Source: Huffington Post, “The Divorce Mistakes You Don’t Even Know You’re Making,” Taryn Hillin, March 18, 2014

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