When you are in the midst of a divorce, you often experience a wide array of emotions. Some days, you may feel grief and anger over your marriage ending. Some days, you may feel frustrated about dividing assets with your spouse and trying to reach a parenting plan agreement. Some days, you may feel relief and excitement about getting a fresh start in life.
More than likely, you will feel tempted to share your feelings about your divorce on social media. However, that isn’t a good idea. More than 80% of divorce attorneys report that they have found evidence worth presenting in court in social media posts. So how can your social media posts negatively impact your divorce? Here are five ways to keep in mind:
1. You post negative comments about your spouse. You need to be aware that anything you post about your ex can end up in court. So, imagine if you trash your ex on Facebook and then what you post is read to the judge in your case? Will that impact what assets you receive in your divorce? Will it show you aren’t willing to establish a good co-parenting relationship?
2. You post photos of you out partying with friends on a Friday night. These photos show you downing a couple shots. Will that impact how a judge views your ability to be a fit parent or have more parenting time with your child?
3. You post photos of the new car you just bought or from a dream vacation you are taking. These photos then could be used in court to show you don’t really need the spousal support you are asking for.
4. You post photos of you dating someone else before your divorce is settled. This can fuel speculation that perhaps you had established a new relationship before filing for divorce. So, your spouse’s attorney may claim adultery was a factor in your divorce, which could impact your asset division and parenting plan arrangement.
5. You use your friends to try to track your ex’s life on social media. If you want to heal and move forward with your life, you can’t become bogged down by trying to track what your ex is up to. You want to disengage from trying to follow their exploits.
If you know you will have a difficult time handling your social media posts during your divorce, you should disengage from it completely. Sometimes, you just need a break. It would be better to not post anything at all than to have a social media post negatively impact your divorce.