Social Media and Your Divorce

Social media is a great way to keep in touch with your friends, family, colleagues and community. Many people use it as a way to share their thoughts and life events, like weddings, births and new job announcements. When it comes to your divorce, however, you may want to take a step back. Social media can work against you during your divorce proceedings.

How social media can be used against you during divorce

Even the most amicable divorces can be emotionally fraught. After all, it’s the legal process to separate the lives you built together. Your emotions are likely heightened, and it’s tempting to vent when things get tough.

Unfortunately, anything you post on social media (especially public profiles) could work against you. For instance, if you appear to be living a life of luxury while asking for spousal maintenance, your ex’s attorney could use them to suggest you might not need those funds after all. Similarly, it could spark a deeper dive into your finances to find out whether you’re hiding assets. Even if you’re not, it can have a serious negative effect on your case.

If you’re planning to use social media during your proceedings, be cautious. Divorce attorneys scour social media posts (including your friends’ and family members’ posts) to uncover evidence of misrepresentations or outright lies. Even if you know you’re on the up-and-up, it may not appear that way to opposing counsel or the judge.

Consider taking a social media break

While your divorce is negotiated, consider stepping back from social media—or at least pledging to share nothing but interesting, non-divorce-related links. It’s tempting to vent about how tough the process can be, your ex’s bad actions or other facets of the experience, but it’s not worth the risk to your case. Invest in therapy or support groups instead.

If you’re ready to file for divorce, the knowledgeable divorce lawyers at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP can help. Call today to get started.