In today’s ever-connected world, we are putting more personal information about ourselves out there than ever before. Whether it’s through Facebook statuses, Instagram photos, “check ins” at our hangout spots or Snapchat story updates, we have become obsessed with sharing even the more mundane details of our lives with our friends.
During a divorce, however, this tendency can potentially hurt you, making it important for you to be careful of what you put online.
Remember: anything you put on the Internet is admissible for use in court, even if you delete it or have your privacy settings boosted to the max. When in doubt, ask yourself, “would I want a judge to see this in court?”
Monitoring your online profile
One area that could be significantly impacted by what you post online is your custody agreement. Posting a Facebook status asking friends for diapers because you ran out could be used to portray you as being a neglectful and incapable parent. Posting pictures of you with a new significant other or holding an alcoholic beverage could be twisted to show you as being selfish and immature.
Even if you do not post anything incriminating about yourself, what you say could still come back to haunt you. For example, angry social media rants about your former spouse could reflect poorly on you in court or during settlement negotiations, even if the statuses reveal nothing negative about your own personal life.
In the end, the best course of action is to either limit your social media activities or temporarily disable your profiles while your divorce is pending. For further advice and guidance, consult an experienced Tampa divorce lawyer with the Law Office of K. Dean Kantaras.