How using social media can complicate divorce

 Posted on April 23, 2018 in Blog

If you are like many Americans, using social media may be something you do multiple times every day, but if you are going through a divorce, you might be wise to refrain from visiting and posting on your favorite sites. Nowadays, you need to consider the fact that virtually anything you do publicly and online can come back to haunt you, and when you are in the middle of the divorce, the stakes are especially high.

Just how can your use of social media complicate your divorce?

It can imply infidelity

When you are going through divorce, refrain from making any actions that might make it appear as if you have already moved on to a new romantic interest. For example, never create a profile on any type of dating website before your divorce finalizes, as doing so may indicate potential infidelity. Additionally, avoid posting photos of you and others doing anything that might look like a date or otherwise suggest a romantic relationship.

It can affect custody decisions

Posting to social media amid divorce can also have ramifications when it comes to child custody matters. For example, say you are supposed to have your son or daughter on a given weekend, but instead, you check into a local nightclub and post pictures from your night on the town. Your spouse may try and make it seem as if you are shirking your child care duties to party with your friends, even if this is not, in fact, accurate.

It can impact spousal maintenance

You also need to be careful when using social media during divorce because the things you or your friends post can impact your ability to secure spousal support. For example, if you say you desperately need spousal maintenance, but then are taking expensive vacations or making expensive purchases others can see online, you can expect your former partner and his or her legal team to take notice.

Remember, when it comes to using social media during divorce, avoid posting anything you would not want your former partner to see. While it might prove difficult at first, abstaining from using social media altogether until your divorce finalizes is often the safest bet.