These Social Media Mistakes Can Cost You during Divorce

Like most people, you probably use social media. You might have a Facebook account, Twitter profile, Instagram account, and a Pinterest board or two.

If so, you probably haven’t stopped using them during your divorce. After all, why would you? It’s harmless, right?

Actually, social media can impact your divorce, and you could be making mistakes without even realizing it. A recent article from The Huffington Post outlines the mistakes you may be making and how to avoid them.

First, you should know that social media is never private. “Facebook posts, tweets, Instagram photos and the like can all be used against you in a divorce case,” reports the article. This is true regardless of whether or not you unfriended your spouse and his or her friends.

If you post something that could hurt you in your divorce case-such as pictures from a vacation that you’ve said you can’t afford or defamatory comments about your spouse-deleting the post won’t help. In fact, it could land you in bigger trouble, as it is considered deleting evidence.

Unfortunately, your case could be damaged by social media activity even if it’s not you doing the posting. For example, if you are sharing custody with your spouse, and your teen posts pictures of him or herself drinking at a party while in your custody, those pictures could be used as evidence that you are an unfit parent.

Perhaps the biggest problem with social media profiles is that, while they seem to paint an honest, transparent picture of someone’s life, they can be easily misinterpreted. A post taken out of context can mean something entirely different than what you originally intended. Jokes, for example, don’t carry over well via the Internet. Saying something negative about your spouse-even if you were kidding-could be detrimental to your case.

Before you post anything on your social media profiles, take a step back. Think about how the post could be perceived and what you might have to explain to a judge. If there is even the slightest chance that the post could be used against you, don’t post it.

While your divorce is ongoing, the Tacoma divorce attorneys at Washington State Attorneys recommend scaling back or even eliminating your activity on social media. Doing so can greatly reduce the risk that you will post something that will hurt your case.