Dealing with divorce in the digital age

Social media has changed how spouses document their lives. As swarms of friends and family members engage with the highlight reels of a couple’s time together, the digital sphere can make any marriage feel like a fairytale.

On the contrary, some spouses who post nothing but good times together online may be falling apart at the seams. If the social media-savvy couple decides to divorce, they often leave a trail of digital footprints behind them.

Social media can create various complications for spouses. Depending on their situation, some may use online information against one another in court. Unfortunately, such actions could affect things like alimony, child support and child custody.

Social media’s impact on divorce

Many people like receiving gratification and recognition for their online persona. However, here are a few examples of where it could get you in trouble during divorce:

• Posting about finances: Most people don’t post their annual salary on Facebook. But bragging about a recent work promotion or posting a photo of a new expensive item may not be the best idea, especially if you are trying to argue for lower alimony or child support payments.
• Posting pictures of partying or alcohol consumption: Divorce can hurt just about anyone. Because of this, you may go out for a night on the town with some friends to blow off steam. While there is nothing wrong with that, you may not want to post your wild times online. If a judge sees recent pictures of you holding alcoholic beverages, your spouse could claim that you’re not responsible enough to care for your children.
• Getting on dating sites before the divorce gets finalized: It may not seem harmful to get back out on the dating scene during a divorce. However, it can create a variety of complications. In many cases, people present a more polished version of themselves online. If you say something on your dating profile that contradicts what you say in court, you could get into trouble.

Some who are tempted to use social media during divorce proceedings may want to delete their profiles altogether. However, the destruction of evidence may hurt your case rather than help it. The best way to handle social media during divorce is to stay off it until the divorce gets finalized.