Divorce is an emotional and stressful process. You will need social support more than ever before during the end of your marriage. Given that most people communicate digitally these days, it is natural for you to look for support on social media as you contemplate divorce.
Unfortunately, the very social networks that you would expect to help you process your emotions could complicate your divorce and hurt your case in family court. You need to be incredibly careful about how you use social media.
Nothing you say online is actually private
Maybe you have carefully chosen privacy settings and only share your content with certain people. Perhaps you blocked your ex, their friends and their family.
However, you cannot discount how much people enjoy involvement in drama. Those you have known for years could potentially start problems by taking screenshots of your posts or private messages and forwarding them to other people, including your ex. You have to assume that even private support groups for those going through divorce are places where your ex can see what you say.
Anything you say online can be evidence in court
While you may just need to blow off steam or get some advice, you don’t want a virtual paper trail of you admitting to misconduct, denigrating your spouse or talking about your legal issues in a public forum.
What you say online can help your ex present you a certain way to the courts and can complicate your rights as the divorce moves forward. For example, if your ex can make claims that you posted threatening statements about them online, they may have a better chance of securing a protective order or full custody of the children.
Know that your ex’s social media content is evidence too
While taking a break from social media during your divorce is a smart and healthy choice, going online occasionally to see if your ex has posted anything could help your case. For example, if they post pictures of them out on dates with their new romantic partner before you have even had a hearing in court, that public behavior could ultimately influence what happens in your divorce proceedings.
Being smart about how you use social media as you prepare for your divorce will help you avoid making mistakes that will hurt your case.