Important Things to Know for a Divorce in the Social Media Era
Social media offers a perfect platform for people to share their thoughts and feelings. Social media is also a great tool to connect with friends and family. However, when undergoing a divorce, social media can easily ruin the success of the divorce process.
As such, don't let the urge to post your life events take over you. Also, learn the social media dos and don'ts to make your divorce process go as smoothly as possible. Read on to learn some social media mistakes to avoid during divorce and the reasons to avoid them.
Don't Post About Your Spouse Negatively
Divorce often comes with a lot of bitterness between partners. You may feel like your spouse betrayed you, especially when the cause of divorce is infidelity or domestic abuse.
However, as much as you want to vent about the situation, social media is not the right place to do so. You may think you will feel better if you post negatively about your spouse, but the decision complicates the divorce process.
The court may use your posts against you and claim that you are not capable of co-parenting, and negative posts can lower your chances of winning custody if you have kids. Note that even if your posts are private, someone else might share the posts with your spouse or attorney. So, if you must vent, talk to a close friend or relative.
Don't Post About Your Divorce Publicly
You may want to include your followers in your divorce process by posting the proceedings on social media. Nonetheless, such posts will likely do more harm than good.
Posting too much information about your divorce online could make the process more difficult and painful for you and your spouse. Furthermore, if you have children, posting about your divorce could negatively affect them. Remember that your children are going through a tough time, so you should try your best not to stress them more by making the children see their parents' divorce playing out online.
Don't Post Photos That Could Be Used Against You
If you're going through a custody battle, be careful about what photos you post on social media. For example, if you post pictures of yourself drinking or using drugs, your spouse could use those photos to show that you're not a responsible parent.
In addition, if you post intimate photos with your new partner or a friend, your spouse may use those photos to argue that you were cheating even before the end of your marriage. Such allegations will not look good on you and will only give your partner more power to win custody.
Therefore, while you may want to post photos to prove to your spouse that you are happy without them, think of the harm those posts could do to your divorce.
Don't Leave Your Password Unchanged
If you used to share your social media accounts with your spouse and you don't change your passwords after your divorce, your ex could still have access to your account and use anything you post against you.
Also, remember that even if you change your password, your ex could still hack into your account if they know your security questions. So, change both your password and your security questions after your divorce.
Divorce is stressful, and you can be tempted to use social media as an escape. However, anything you post on social media can be used against you in court. Also, you should put your children's well-being first, and don't post anything that will hurt them more than they already are. Most importantly, remember that not everyone on your followers' list wishes you well. Some may rejoice in your darkest moments.
Rise Law Group has a team of trusted family and divorce lawyers in Medford, OR, and the surrounding areas. If you have further inquiries about divorce and social media, don't hesitate to contact us for inquiries.