Social Media & Divorce: Why They Don't Mix

Social media is a major part of our lives nowadays, encouraging us all to share every aspect of our lives in a forum that provides minimal protection from prying eyes. Every day, millions of people share photographs and personal status updates and, while this can be a fun way to stay connected to friends, family, and acquaintances, it can be massively detrimental if you are in the middle of a divorce case. To be safe, it is best to simply unplug until your divorce is finalized.

Here are some of the issues you might encounter if you continue to use social media throughout your divorce:

1. You might incriminate yourself: If you applied to lower your alimony payments, but you posted or were tagged in pictures that show you going on an expensive vacation or flaunting luxury items, it will not look good. Likewise, if you are involved in a bitter custody battle and pictures arise of you partying when you should have been caring for the children, this can severely harm the outcome of your case.
2. Social media is a permanent online diary: Nothing is ever truly deleted and every time you post on social media you are composing a diary of your life. Of course, most of it is generally quite harmless, but always keep in mind that anything can be taken out of context, turning an innocent post into a piece of damaging evidence.
3. You cannot take things back when it comes to social media: On the emotional side of things, you should consider how your posts will be read and interpreted by others. You might feel compelled to vent and rant online because you are angry or your feelings are hurt, but repairing the damage done after an emotional post can be difficult and you can never really take it back.
4. Maintain your privacy: Keeping this personal situation private should also be something you take into consideration, especially if you have children. How might your children feel if they became aware of all the hateful or angry posts you made about their other parent? Do not make this situation any more difficult than it has to be by letting things get ugly.

If you absolutely cannot stay logged out of social media during your divorce, for whatever the reason might be, think twice before you post. Ask yourself if you would mind a judge seeing your post and, if the answer is yes or if you are unsure, do not post it.

San Diego Divorce Attorneys

If you were served with divorce papers or are considering going through a divorce, you will need a skilled and experienced San Diego divorce attorney to help you through the process. At Cage & Miles, we work tirelessly to limit the impact divorce can have on your future, lifestyle, finances, and your children.

Contact us today at (858) 943-2060 for a consultation.