Managing your social media accounts during a divorce
Divorce in the digital era means that anything you put on the internet can be used against you. Considering how much time we spend online and using media platforms, it should come as no surprise. It’s common practice for divorce lawyers to scour social media accounts for information or photos that can be used in divorce proceedings. Sometimes these posts are just used to develop a general sense of your character. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook are mined for evidence to support claims made against you.
Managing your internet presence
Social media is not a safe place to vent your frustrations about your high-conflict divorce. If anything, having an outlet like that while you’re emotional could lead to oversharing. More than that, information posted online can damage your divorce case. Here are good practices to implement if divorce litigation is on the horizon:
- Unfriend your ex : You should unfriend, block and remove your ex from all social media accounts. It would help if you did the same for your ex’s friends and family. You need to remove as much of their access to information about you as possible.
- Delete your accounts : First, ask a lawyer if this is advisable, as in certain cases it might be seen as getting rid of evidence. But if you don’t feel like you can trust yourself posting about your divorce and your ex, you should get rid of your accounts.
- Have your friends and family distance themselves : It’s probably a good idea to have your friends and family unfriend, remove and block your ex and their family and friends. You don’t want a picture that a friend posts of you to be used in court.
- Apply the most stringent privacy settings: If you have to keep your social media accounts, make those accounts private with the strictest privacy restrictions possible.
- Stop activity: It would be advisable to refrain from any public activity on an account until your divorce is settled. If you want to contact a friend, do it in person or over the phone.
Be careful what you allow on the internet
Some people do not face contentious divorces and may be able to keep their social media accounts. An account may be their primary connection to friends and family – their support network during difficult times. Nevertheless, here are some things you want to avoid on active social media accounts:
- Photos of partying
- Negative comments about your spouse
- Posts that display problematic behavior
- Displays of wealth, assets or expensive lifestyles
Improving your digital profile
A divorce is a reminder that the information you post online can stay around and affect you for a very long time. You’re probably not used to censoring yourself in this way, but many divorce lawyers are fluent in the best PR tactics for social media users. A divorce lawyer will have ample information related to posting and account management. Remove the guesswork from your internet presence and let an attorney coach you through improving your social media image.
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