Bad Social Media Habits to Avoid During Your Divorce

Updating your friends and family about your divorce on social media may seem innocent enough…until your ex-spouse brings printed-out tweets to court to use as evidence against you during a custody battle. What you post on social media is not privileged information. It is available to the public and can be used against you during a divorce case. Be careful what you post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat – or stay off social media altogether until a judge has finalized the split. A bad social media habit could end up influencing a judgment against you.

Criticizing Your Ex

Ranting about your ex-spouse may make you feel better, but try to avoid doing it on social media. Making your criticisms public for the world to see could come back to hurt you during your divorce. If your remarks go as far as to threaten your ex-spouse, spread false rumors about him or her, or criticize his or her abilities as a parent, it could enter your case as evidence against you. Inflammatory remarks could also incite your spouse into making the divorce more difficult for you that it has to be. Remember, deleting a social media post or deactivating your account will not be enough to erase what you post. An investigator can still access deleted activity.

Joining a Dating App

It may be in your best interest to wait until after a judge has finalized your divorce to join a dating app or site such as Bumble, Tinder or Hinge. Joining one of these sites while still married could be proof of infidelity, even if you have separated from your spouse. Although Colorado is a no-fault state and will not take infidelity into account during a divorce, a judge may assess whether it is appropriate to have the kids around new partners in a custody case. Custody lawyers say the same tip applies to changing your relationship status on Facebook. Wait until after the divorce to bring new partners into the picture – at least publicly.

Showing Off New Purchases

A key concern during most divorce cases is property division. Colorado is an equitable division state, meaning a judge will divide marital assets based on what appears fair for each spouse. If you try to diminish your income on paper by purchasing items such as sports cars or vacation homes, do not post about it on social media. Your spouse could use these updates as proof that you are not being honest about how much you make. If a judge believes you guilty of hiding assets, it could be detrimental to your side of the divorce case.

Posting Party Pics

It can be tempting to show off how well you are doing post-split with photos or videos of you partying, but avoid posting anything like this to social media sites. Your spouse could use pictures of you at a party or club to degrade your character during a custody battle. Your spouse may be able to use it as proof of substance or alcohol use on your part – habits that will not impress a judge trying to determine which parent is most responsible. Your spouse could even take a casual photo of you having a beer at a baseball game out of context for custody purposes, so be careful what you and your friends post.

Sharing Location Information

Avoid checking into places such as bars, casinos, strip clubs or the hottest new restaurant on social media sites during a divorce. A history of location sharing in such establishments could serve as proof that you are an irresponsible parent during a custody dispute. It could also serve as proof of your financial stability if you are trying to fight for spousal maintenance. Tell your friends not to tag you in any location updates or photos. Everyone in your life should be on the same page about what not to post on social media. Going dark on social media for a few months during your divorce can be well worth the break. It could help you avoid serious pitfalls.