Any time you use social media, you’re putting your life on the internet for all to see. Even with privacy settings, it’s possible that your posts could end up reaching a larger audience unexpectedly. That may be the last thing you want to see happen if you’re going through a divorce.
Social media has the potential to be good for you in some circumstances. For example, posts about you winning awards or being an excellent employee might help in a custody case or help someone understand your good reputation. However, there is a downside to social media, too. Anything negative or that is perceived as negative could come back to haunt you. Even photographs, which may feel innocent, might give the other party ammunition against you in court.
Should you shut down your social media during your divorce?
Usually, it’s a good idea to shut down your social media during your divorce. This is because you want to avoid giving the other party any kind of extra information about your life that they could use against you. For example, something as simple as photos of you drinking alcohol at a party could end up being used as evidence that you “drink too much,” or be shown to assert that you were spending shared assets that your ex-spouse wants back.
Typically, social media should be avoided during your divorce, but it’s an excellent source of content for your case. You should get online and gather information from your ex’s social media if they leave it up, and that’s something your attorney will talk to you about. Pictures of missing assets, unusually large purchases despite claims of no income and other evidence could significantly help your divorce case.
Social media evidence may help or hurt your case
Social media evidence is just one type of evidence that you should gather during divorce. At the same time, you should make sure your social media is disabled, deleted or shut down until your divorce is finalized. That way, you’ll have better control over what others can find out about you without asking you directly.