When you are in the midst of a divorce, your conduct is under a metaphorical microscope. Any behavior that seems inappropriate or counter to what you have said during the proceedings could hurt your prospects of obtaining reasonable arrangements when it comes to parenting time, child support, spousal support, property division, etc.
Electronic forms of communication, such as social media, email and texting, are ubiquitous in today’s world. However, they can be extremely damaging to your divorce case. It is best to stop using them entirely until divorce finalization. Read on to find out why.
Creating an electronic paper trail
Once you send a message out into the ether of the internet, you can no longer control what happens to it or who sees it. Even if you send something that is supposed to remain private, you cannot count on it remaining so. Furthermore, every message that you send, including texts, emails and social media posts, contains identifying information that can trace it back to you. In other words, the private venting that you do about your future ex-spouse, details of an extramarital affair, etc., may come back to haunt you in divorce court.
Tagging
Even if you can resist the temptation to stop using social media during your divorce, you cannot stop other people from tagging you in photographs. That means that your ex and his/her attorney can see what you have been up to. Whether it involves drinking when you are with the kids or taking a vacation when you are short on child support, your ex’s attorney can use the tags to find out and use the information against you.
Protecting yourself
Though it may seem extreme, the best thing to do is to delete all your social media accounts for the duration of the divorce proceedings. That way, you will not fall victim to the temptation to post something you may regret later, and other people will not be able to tag you in photographs that seem to compromise your position. If you wish to make a thorough job of it, you may take the additional step of removing any nonessential email or texting capabilities from your phone.
