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Social media has become so ingrained in our lives that using platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, among others, has become second nature. We do not often think twice about what we post to our various pages nor do we think of the potential repercussions of doing so. If you are going through a divorce, or even another kind of legal proceeding, you cannot afford to continue ignoring the possible fallout of social media use. Posting on social media can have profound impacts on your divorce in ways that can be harmful. If you have ever considered taking a social media break, now may be the best time to do just that, at least until your divorce is finalized.
Social Media Use and Divorce
Through social media, we share our lives with others. We are given and give little glimpses into our day to day lives. We have become so entangled with social media and use it so often that most of us not only fail to pause and reflect on what we are posting, but often error on the side of oversharing various details of our everyday happenings. What in the past may only be details we would share with close family or friends now goes out to the world or, at least, those who follow your social media accounts.
Even those social media accounts with tight security settings, however, can be accessed and come up in court in unexpected ways. The best policy to have may be to not post anything you would want to come up in court at some point down the road. Consider, for instance, the potential fallout your social media use could have on divorce proceedings. In a divorce, your person and finances will be scrutinized. Your lifestyle choices will be examined in detail and your financial situation will be laid bare. Posting on social media about things such as extravagant purchases, fancy meals out, and extensive and expensive vacations could come into play in your divorce proceedings. The court will, of course, be interested to know how you can support such a lifestyle and whether you may not be fully disclosing assets.
Social media can also be extremely misleading to others. When everyone tends to only post about the good things happening in life, there can be a seriously skewed perception that someone’s life is perfect. An overly rosy portrayal of your life may not coincide with that which you say and describe in your divorce proceedings. The contradictions between your social media postings and that which you present to the divorce court could prove problematic.
Your use of social media could also come back to have a big impact on key child custody decisions taking place during divorce proceedings. Those pictures you posted from your night out with friends may have once seemed harmless, but may be used against you. You would be surprised what can go from a picture of you and friends enjoying a drink out together to a judge considering it as potential evidence that you are not a responsible parent. It is simply not worth the risk such posts can have on such important issues incident to divorce.
Florida Family Law Attorneys
However private you may think your social media accounts remain, it is always safer to assume that someone else will be able to access your postings and other information. Divorce can be difficult and your whole life may become fair game in divorce court. Let the team at Bernal-Mora & Nickolaou help protect you throughout the process. Contact us today.
