If you’re like most adults in the United States, you log onto Facebook at least once a day. You probably have an Instagram and Twitter account too. While platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter can be great for staying connected to friends and family, they can wreak havoc during the divorce process.
According to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), “If your status is separated or going through a divorce, you might want to stay off Facebook.” Why? Because an “overwhelming 81% of the nation’s top divorce attorneys say they have seen an increase in the number of cases using social networking evidence during the past five years,” according to the AAML.
Social Media Can Hurt No-Fault Divorces
At Cairns Law Offices, we specialize in affordable, no-fault divorces in Pennsylvania. Our clients do not file for divorce on fault-based grounds. Instead, our clients collaborate to achieve a cheap, no-fault divorce is a short period of time. If a client’s amicable divorce becomes unfriendly or uncontested, we can no longer help them.
Since we strive to help people obtain no-fault divorces for just $299, it’s very important that our clients continue to work with their spouses to agree on a divorce settlement. In order to keep things peaceful during the divorce process, we encourage our clients to be polite and respectful to their spouses and this includes behaving on social media.
There are many ways that a friendly divorce can turn ugly with social media. With that in mind, here are some things NOT to do on social media while trying to achieve a no-fault divorce:
- Don’t switch your relationship status to “single” while you’re still married. In fact, don’t switch it to “it’s complicated either.” Our advice is to keep your status as “married” until your divorce is finalized.
- Don’t badmouth your soon-to-be-ex on social media. This will only antagonize him or her.
- Do not post pictures of you drinking alcohol or partying during a divorce, especially if you have minor children. Such pictures can affect child custody.
- Do not post pictures of you dating, or posing with a date. This can make your spouse think you’re seeing other people and it can anger them.
- Don’t post about the divorce at all. Divorce is very private and should be discussed with a best friend over a cup of coffee, not aired out to 500 casual acquaintances on Facebook.
- Don’t post pics of you spending a lot of money as this can raise red flags. In other words, avoid posting about costly vacations, expensive restaurants, new cars, days at the spa, or other extravagant purchases.
During a divorce, you can take a hiatus from social media until it’s over. Or, if you stay on social media, don’t post anything that you wouldn’t want your spouse, their divorce attorney, or the judge to see. This is the time to keep your posts clean, positive, and uplifting – avoid posting anything that would cause someone to question your character.
Looking for a divorce lawyer in Pennsylvania? Contact Cairns Law Offices to schedule a free consultation with a member of our legal team!
