Phoenix Divorce Attorneys Know That Social Media Can Cause Major Pitfalls For Divorcing Couples

Social media is a great way to stay connected to loved ones who don’t live nearby and to reconnect with friends that we haven’t seen in a long time – but social media definitely has its downfalls. For divorcing couples, social media can create a major pitfall in the divorce process and can be potentially damaging to your case.

Phoenix Divorce Attorneys Know That Social Media Can Cause Major Pitfalls For Divorcing Couples

You may not think so, but there is something called oversharing when it comes to social media. During a divorce, there are a lot of things that can be posted that can be damaging for you. Social network information can provide crucial evidence in divorce and child custody cases. According to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, sixty-six percent of the lawyers surveyed cited Facebook as the source of online evidence.

Let’s look at a couple of examples that could create unnecessary and avoidable problems.

• Husband is signed up for online dating – Facebook has its own dating section – in his profile he is listing himself as single and childless. However, the husband is seeking primary custody of his “non-existent children”
• PDA might show up as evidence during a divorce case, but what if parent A forces the child to remove parent B as a friend – this could provide evidence for parent B that parent A is alienating the child from them.
• Parent A is seeking primary custody of a child. Part of parent A’s case is claiming that parent B is not supportive of the children after school activities, does not attend school events or extra-curricular events, and is less than attentive to the child’s needs. Subpoenaed evidence can prove that parent B is participating in online games during the specific times that events are happening for the child.
• Anger management issues come up during a case and parent A is denying outbursts or anger issues but social media posts or the “about yourself” section contains vulgar aggressive content.

These are only a few of the many ways that divorcing couples become their own worst enemy during a divorce case. Social media can create a major problem during your custody situation and should be either avoided or eliminated altogether.

Lasiter & Jackson is experienced in Phoenix divorce cases and recommends the following to help people keep their personal life outside of divorce court.

• Remember that whatever you say online will be held against you. Social Media posts are hard evidence to prove that you are lying under oath. Keep your thoughts and opinions tight-lipped.
• Mutual friends on social media are not always mutual friends in real life. Divorces are stressful and emotional and you might react in the heat of the moment and say things that you don’t mean. Your friends may understand that you are frustrated but that might not stop them from talking.
• Pictures are NOT hearsay – pictures are the truth and will be used like that. Keep explicit material off the internet – especially during divorce or child custody situations. Adults should know better in general but before you post, ask yourself if this post could make you look or seem bad in a custody case.

To make sure you present yourself the best way and know what can hurt you and what will help you, reach out to the experts at Lasiter and Jackson Law in Phoenix. We have done this time and time again and laws can change. You may not be aware of what can be used and what can’t in a court of law. Call us today!

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