When you are going through a contested divorce, everything that you do or say is closely examined. The other side will be watching your every move to try to get information to use against you. If there is a child custody dispute, the opposition may try to show the court that you are an unfit parent because of the way you spend your time.
In the past, this information was much more difficult to obtain. Today, it is shocking how many people willingly disclose this information on social media websites such as Facebook or dating sites like Match.com.
Facebook has made it easy to share all of the details of our everyday lives with whomever we choose. Unfortunately, this has made it all too easy for it to be used against us, and this is especially true in divorces. All too often there are news stories of spouses who learned of affairs because of postings or photos on social media websites, or of parents who lost custody of their children because they are deemed to have alcohol or drug problems because of information obtained online.
If you are going through a divorce, do not post or make status updates about the process. Anything you write can be used against you. If you had “friended” your spouse, remove him or her from your list of friends. If they know your password, change it immediately.
Use extreme caution when posting on social media websites. You may even wish to stop vis iting Facebook during the divorce proceeding, as you and your ex-spouse may have friends in common who might not have your best interests in mind. Conversations can be taken out of context and you may be unable to demonstrate the actual meaning of your words to the court.