Technological innovation has brought many positive changes to society. However, there are some drawbacks to the social media frenzy that has exploded in recent years. Arizona residents know that it is very easy in today’s digital world to blurt out a message on a social media site, or send a nasty text message in a temporary fit of anger, and quickly regret it. However, once that message is out there it is fair game for those that wish to use it in court.
A recent report based on a survey, conducted by the American Association of Matrimonial Lawyers, shows that 81 percent of all divorces last year used some evidence from a social media site, when the parties were litigating the case in court. Messages posted on social media sites can be used as evidence in any contentious divorce matter, from child custody to spousal support. In fact, these messages have the potential to be extremely damaging evidence in court.
Therefore, the best advice to follow is to stay off all social medical websites during a divorce. Do not share any information regarding your divorce process online, and try to keep all sharing of information to a minimum because no one can predict what information someone might choose to share on a social media website. Remember that if you would not want your children to read your posts, you probably should not be posting them.
Divorces involving child custody, visitation and child support can be emotionally draining and stressful. It is best to seek out as much information as possible to know what options are available as soon as possible in order to obtain the best possible result for everyone involved.
Source: The Washington Times, “Email, texting can become a WMD during a divorce or custody case,” Myra Fleisher, April 23, 2013.