For a large percentage of Americans between the ages of 13 and 60, social media has become a way of life. Few of us let a day pass without checking our Facebook and Instagram accounts. In fact, social media has played a large role in divorces as spouses have connected with “old flames” and met new ones online.
If you’re on the road to divorce, it’s important to be cautious on social media because a misstep can lead to a costlier, more stressful divorce. While a social media fast may be the best answer until the divorce is final, that’s easier said than done for a lot of people.
How Can My Social Posts Impact My Divorce?
There are two key areas that can be affected by questionable social media posts: 1) child custody, and 2) spousal support. For example, if a mother was fighting for child custody but she kept filling her news feed with pics of her drinking and partying, this could paint her as an irresponsible mother.
On the other hand, let’s say a husband was arguing that he couldn’t afford spousal support, but he posted pic after pic of him spending money on luxury items, such as a new boat, or a European vacation with his new girlfriend.
If his wife saw these posts, she could use it as evidence to convince the judge to issue a support order. These are only two examples, we could provide many more.
If you plan to stay on social media during your divorce, here’s our advice:
- Don’t change your Facebook status from “married” to “single” until you are officially divorced. This can anger your spouse and lead to trouble.
- Don’t rant about your marriage, your spouse, their attorney, or the judge on social media.
- Don’t assume that if you block your spouse, they won’t see your posts. A mutual friend or family member can screenshot your posts and send them to your spouse. Or, your spouse or one of their friends can create a fake account to follow your posts.
- Don’t post any pics of your: partying, drinking alcohol, shopping, spending money, or dating someone new until after the divorce is final.
Ideally, you’ll stay off of social media altogether until the divorce is final. Another alternative is to scroll through, but to avoid liking or commenting. If you prefer to stay active on your social accounts, be careful about what you post and make sure you don’t post anything that you wouldn’t want your spouse or their attorney to see.
