Social Media Use During Divorce Proceedings

SOCIAL MEDIA USE DURING DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS SOCIAL MEDIA AND DIVORCE SOCIAL MEDIA EVIDENCE 81% of American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers members have used or encountered evidence taken from social media websites 1 out of every 5 U.S. divorces is at least partially due to Facebook 14% comes from MySpace 5% comes from Twitter 15% comes from other sources f 66% of online divorce evidence comes from Facebook TIPS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA USERS BE POLITE Don't use social media outlets to air your personal grievances Any untruthful comments could result in libel action against you What's on your mind? Don't make negative comments about your ex USE DISCRETION Even benign posts can harm your case Don't post pictures of yourself at social gatherings Avoid “checking in" to any locations-even work PRIVAC Y SETTINGS You and your ex may have mutual friends Limit what posts are visible to certain people Disable the “tag" function for pictures LOCATION Location settings allow a timeline to be formed Disable the option that allows friends to check you in at locations -Especially important in contentious or potentially violent divorces RELATIONSHIP STATUS Avoid disclosing your relationship status at any time to prevent complications Adjust privacy settings so that any status change you make will be private Don't answer any questions about your relationship online DELETE When in doubt, close your social media accounts You can re-open them after your divorce is finalized delete Rely on in person communication rather than online interactions RS INFOGRAPHIC PROVID ED BY: WWW.R ANDSFAMILYLAWINDY.COM Sources: www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1904147,00.html blogs.findlaw.com/law_and_life/2009/06/tweeting-or-facebooking-divorce-beware-the-private-inf o-you-broadcast.html www.nbenews.com/id/37986320/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/#.UYlgoKJwrng blogs.findlaw.com/law_and_life/2011/03/facebook-to-blame-for-1-in-5-divorces-lawyers-say.html blogs.findlaw.com/law_and_life/2013/02/5-rules-for-social-media-use-during-divorce.html - --- - - -