One of the most appealing aspects of social media is being able to share your thoughts to a broad audience of people who are, to varying degrees, close to you. Sharing can include describing or alluding to emotionally challenging times in your life. The need to vent your feelings with trusted friends and family can be powerful and beneficial. However, you need to be careful with how you use social media while you go through a divorce, or you may face unexpected consequences.
How Social Media Can Affect Divorce Proceedings
You may be surprised by the idea that your tweets can affect the separation process at all. The truth is that this online activity can provide insights into a user’s personality and behavior, and they may be deemed relevant for use in court. Your ex-spouse may seek favorable terms by trying to give a negative depiction of you, especially when the divorce is far from amicable. As evidence, they may point not just to older pictures and status updates, but also to more recent posts in your social media.
While expressing strong emotions on social media may be tempting, you will need to find a less public and permanent way of dealing with the divorce. An outburst like those mentioned above may be precisely what your ex-spouse’s lawyer wants to see. They could use these to depict you as lacking self-control, being unable to deal with pressure and a range of other complaints. This short-term stress relief may have long-term effects, especially during discussions about custody and visitation rights. As a divorce lawyer would advise, you will want to do anything you can to portray yourself favorably in court. Keeping up appearances may mean avoiding oversharing.
What Not to Post on Social Media
Divorce proceedings can be tense and taxing. By the end of each day, you may have strong feelings of anger, sadness, pain, worry, or combinations of them. You may feel tempted to get these emotions off your chest by ranting about the process on Facebook, or attacking your ex-spouse in a status update, or defending your reputation. This temptation could be even stronger if you see your online connections posting anything even remotely related to the divorce, such as a picture with your ex-spouse.
However, you would be advised not to give in. The internet never forgets as the saying goes, and your posts and comments might leave a negative impression, even if you delete them. If you feel the need to vent your emotions, tell people details about the proceedings, or dispel any unflattering rumors, you may want to do so in a less public forum. Personal conversations with trusted friends and family in intimate settings can give you the same kind of release. If the proceedings are particularly intense, you may want to try therapy or even a divorce support group.
Additionally, you may also want to be careful about anything that you post, even if you believe that the topic has nothing to do with your divorce. One example is showing off recent high-end purchases or sharing more than a few pictures of you going out. These social media updates may be used to portray someone as more financially well-off than you actually are. That may affect your standing in payment negotiations for alimony and child support. Perhaps harsher still, they may create the image that you are too irresponsible with your money and time to properly care for your children. Your ex-spouse may do this if they are particularly aggressive about custody and visitation rights, and it can be damaging.
If you seek more advice on dealing with a divorce, you may want the help of a skilled divorce lawyer. Brian D. Perskin & Associates P.C. can provide you with the assistance you need in this difficult time. Contact us today at 718-875-7584 so you can receive a free consultation from an experienced New York divorce attorney.