Photo of Professionals at Weinberg, Kaplan & Smith, P.A.
Photo of Professionals at Weinberg, Kaplan & Smith, P.A.
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3 essential rules for social media use during divorce

by | Jun 27, 2018 | Firm News

Most people have opinions about social media one way or the other. Perhaps you are a devoted user who enjoys sharing daily updates with followers, or maybe you are opposed to social media and feel that it facilitates oversharing. Regardless of which side you fall on, if you have any social media accounts, you should be careful about how you use them when you are in the process of getting a divorce. 

According to SproutSocial, the average internet user has about seven social media accounts. Social media can easily be a detrimental factor to your divorce if you do not keep your usage in check. You can prevent it from impacting your divorce case, though, by taking the following tips: 

Never badmouth your ex

It can certainly be tempting to log onto a social media platform and tell your friends and family what went wrong. They are likely curious, after all. You might want to tell them how your ex wronged you and what she or he did to hurt you, but in the midst of a divorce, this is a bad move. It is particularly inadvisable if you have kids and are advocating for custody. Public hostility only makes you look bad.

Do not air dirty laundry

Just as you should not speak ill of your ex, you should not provide details of the divorce on social media, either. Was there a third party involved? Were you facing financial struggles? It does not matter, and it does not belong on social media. Even if you do not think your posts are public, anything you publish could potentially become a factor in your divorce. As such, it is important not to share such information.

Remember your audience

At the end of the day, the most important factor is to simply remember who your audience is. When you are going through a divorce, your audience changes, and the way that you use social media should, too. Even if your posts appear to be private, they could get back to your ex or even a judge, so remember that these people may be part of your audience as well.