Social Media and Your Divorce Case

Social Media today plays a bigger role in divorce cases than people would suspect. Courts, in most cases, do not recognize anything posted online as private.

Attorneys and Judges admit pictures, comments and videos gathered from social media sites as evidence in court.

At Plyler, Long & Corigliano, LLP, our divorce lawyers in Monroe NC handle divorce cases every day. We know that there has been a sharp rise in the past few years in the amount of online evidence presented in divorce cases. In fact:

• Over a third of all divorce filings last year cited social media sites either as one of the causes of divorce,
• Or as evidence to be used in settlements.
• We don’t want you to stop networking online; however, we do advise you to be cautious about what you say.

Explaining a Post in Court

Before you say anything online, imagine explaining that post to a judge later. Divorce attorneys know that even things you delete can be recovered and then presented as evidence in court.

Another example includes a father who lost custody of his son when he posted pictures of himself and the child at a drinking party. He expected that only his Facebook friends would be looking at the pictures. The judge wasn’t sympathetic with his protestations of right to privacy. Even though his ex-wife could not prove that the child was harmed, or even endangered, she got full custody of the boy.

Consequences of the Comments You Post

You might be going through a time when you can’t think of anything nice to say about your estranged spouse. Another example is of a woman posted comments about her husband’s lying and cheating without thinking about the impact it would have on his career. His boss saw the comments and fired the man, leaving him with no way to pay his child support. Comments could cause damage, please think before you decide on making statements online.

Talk to a Divorce Attorney

It might seem strange to ask a lawyer what you should tell your friends on Facebook, but our lawyers have gained a lot of experience in the past few years with social media’s role in divorce cases. Make sure this is part of the first discussion you have with our divorce lawyers when you begin your divorce proceedings.

Contact Plyler, Long & Corigliano, LLP today and our experienced divorce lawyers will look out for your best interests.

Sharing is caring: