Connecting with loved ones and old friends has never been simpler than with social media sites like Facebook. While you can keep in touch with your favorite cousins, social media can also be costly especially if you’re in the process of getting a divorce. There are some rules of thumb that can be followed and settings you can change on your accounts to protect yourself.
What you say vs. what is on social media
Be careful about what you say and what can be proven with a social media account. For example, posting a picture of your brand new car while at the same time telling a judge you don’t have money for child support can be a problem. Another example is a mother or father who swears up and down that she/he doesn’t go out and party. One photo from one party posted to social media can prove otherwise.
Common sense solutions for social media and divorce
You could, as we suggest below, keep your social media connections to your closest friends but the reality is that your account can be accessed no matter how tight the security. Exercising common sense is your best course of action. Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself:
- Clean your friends list to exclude anyone associated with your soon-to-be-ex.
- Block family members who might not understand what they’re posting could hurt you in court, or worse, those who would post information to hurt you or your family.
- Change your settings to be as private as possible. And keep checking settings on a regular basis. Facebook often makes changes to privacy and the default, in spite of your current setting, may be changed to public.
- Temporarily shut down your accounts. You never know who can see what you post. Even the tightest privacy settings can be breached or someone you think you can trust can break your trust and get information to your spouse.
The reality is that anything you do can be posted by anyone on social media. Protect yourself and your family by staying out of situations that could cause harm especially while you’re in the process of divorce. For more information about divorce and other family law matters, schedule a FREE CONSULTATION with us today!