Founder
Whether it be Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, or something else, social media is here to stay. It has become so ingrained in our lives that, most of the time, we do not give a second thought to posting frequent life updates. After all, these platforms are great ways to remain connected to family and friends both near and far. Despite how commonplace social media use has become, it is important to remain thoughtful and careful about how you are engaging with the world over cyberspace. Social media use can have unintended and profound consequences on other areas of your life that you may not have initially foreseen. If you are going through divorce proceedings, social media can even have an impact on this. Here are some of the ways that social media can impact your divorce.
Social Media and Divorce
We do not use social media in a vacuum. There is no magical bubble that shields your posts from misuse and privacy settings may be somewhat effective at blocking others out, but they are by no means infallible. When you consider everyone that can access your social media information, it may come as no surprise that your social media use can come up in different areas of your life. After all, you may have heard cautionary tales about how social media use may have jeopardized someone’s career or job prospects. Furthermore, social media use can have negative consequences for you if you are in the midst of divorce proceedings.
The things you share on social media can tell more about you than you may see on the surface. For instance, pictures you share from travels and going out can be revealing as far as your financial situation is concerned. Putting out your spending habits to the world can provide insight as to the fact that you are either making a lot of money or spending a lot of money that you do not have. Living an elevated lifestyle may make a judge wary of your financial disclosures, suspecting that you may even be hiding marital assets. Any hint of dishonesty can be very detrimental to multiple issues incident to divorce proceedings.
What you post can also have adverse consequences as far as child custody determinations are concerned. Let’s be honest, most of us at one time or another have needed to go out with friends and blow off some steam. Unfortunately, many of us only post on social media when we are out and about having fun with friends. This can give a skewed perspective of your lifestyle. Your behavior may even lean towards the unbecoming of a parent or even reckless. When the best interest of the child standard is applied to child custody decisions, these are things that could weigh against you and jeopardize custody arrangements.
As stated before, privacy settings may not protect you from your social media being used against you in divorce proceedings. Privacy settings are not infallible. Furthermore, you and your soon-to-be former spouse may have shared connections on social media. Yes, the friends you have in common may share your postings with your former spouse and that information may, in turn, be used against you. In general, the safest thing to do is discontinue your social media accounts until your divorce has been finalized.
Florida Family Law Attorneys
We want to protect your best interests and help you put your best foot forward in divorce proceedings. At Bernal-Mora & Nickolaou, we work to protect and preserve the best interests of our clients before divorce, during divorce, and after divorce. Contact us today.
