Navigating Social Media While Your Divorce Is Pending

 Posted on May 11, 2018 in Divorce

If you are going through a divorce, be careful with how you use social media. If you are the type of person who shares every thought and moment of your day with your followers, now is the time to start tapering off your social media usage and getting yourself used to a more private existence. Once you post something on social media, you cannot control where it ends up or how it might be used later. When you are working through the divorce process, keeping tight control on your social media profiles will help you keep your divorce and any “ammunition” your former partner can use against you under control.

Below is a list of what to do, and what not to do with your social media profiles while your divorce is pending. For additional advice tailored to your specific case, speak with an experienced divorce lawyer.

What to Do on Social Media

Take a closer look at your current privacy settings to see who can view your posts. Consider making your privacy settings more stringent and removing friends and followers who you do not want to have access to your content. Remember, though, that removing somebody from your followers list cannot completely prevent him or her from seeing what you post – all it takes is one of your remaining followers taking a screenshot of your content and sharing it with the follower you removed.

If you choose to continue using social media while your divorce is in progress, keep your posts to positive, inoffensive content.

What Not to Do on Social Media

There are a lot of ways your behavior on social media during your divorce can backfire on you. These include:

• Engaging in arguments and “drama” with friends and relatives;
• Posting negative opinions about your former spouse or the divorce;
• Posting details about your divorce like the amount of spousal maintenance you are seeking, how your assets will be divided, or your lawyer’s name and your former spouse’s lawyer’s name; and
• Posting content and images that show you engaging in explicit and illegal behavior. Even images of you engaging in legal, yet possibly controversial behavior like drinking alcohol, dancing in a club, or using legally prescribed medical marijuana should be kept off social media, because it can be taken out of context to support claims that you are not a responsible parent or that you are suffering from a substance addiction.

Anything you post on your social media profile can be used to support your former spouse’s claims about you.

Work with an Experienced St. Charles Divorce Lawyer

For legal advice about navigating the sometimes-confusing seas of a pending divorce, speak with an experienced Kane County divorce lawyer. To get started with our firm, contact Shaw Sanders, P.C. today to set up your initial consultation in our office. We can help you make productive choices and avoid pitfalls that can potentially have long-term negative effects on your case while you work through this complex, confusing process. Call us at 630-584-5550 for help.

Sources:

https://www.prevention.com/sex/social-media-mistakes-during-divorce/slide/2

http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/documents/075000050k504.htm