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Social Media and Divorce

September 18, 2018 General

In 2017, social media has an extensive role in our everyday lives. It is also becoming a greater part of divorce cases.

Posts on social media can broadcast the truth about financial matters that are not evident in legal paperwork. Some clients have been forced to pay more alimony based on findings on their social media accounts.

A divorce attorney in Austin, Texas, once used a LinkedIn profile to show the existence of a side business (another source of income) that had not been disclosed. This information helped his client secure more child support.

It is important to note that it is not always what the client posts that gets them in trouble. Sometimes posts that their friends have shared on websites, like Facebook, have been used in court. Whether it is pictures of lavish getaways, or rambunctious parties with activities that are dangerous for children, another person’s social media presence can cause trouble for a client’s divorce or child custody cases.

Although you may be tempted to delete your social media during a divorce, it is in your best interest to wait until after the divorce is finalized to delete any social media accounts or posts. Believe it or not, deleting social media could technically be considered destruction of evidence.

In short: posts on social media can be used as evidence, and things posted on the internet never go away, so think before you post!

Please contact our highly experienced family law attorneys if you have any questions or are in need of legal assistance.

Credit: Jayelind Donnelly, intern at Brown, Paindiris & Scott, LLP