Divorce is a stressful, emotional process. It’s also one that often is in the public eye, especially in this day and age with the abundance of social media. Divorce attorney Brian Grady has seen the impact that social media can have on divorce and will be on your side if you need to take legal action.
Thousands of websites and apps have been created to help people communicate with one another. Unfortunately, given the nature of divorce, it’s easy for emotions to get out of control and for fights over social media to occur. This can lead to damaging your case or exposing yourself to legal liability if you’re not careful. Although Illinois is a no fault divorce state, negative exposure on these platforms can detrimentally affect you.
Planning to Divorce? Avoid Social Media
If your divorce involves custody or child support issues, you should avoid posting anything that could be used against you in court. Even if it seems like a private exchange between two people, it’s important to remember that everything online can be interpreted differently by someone else. Take care not to use offensive language or post anything that reveals confidential information about yourself or children involved in the case.
An example of how social media posts can negatively affect you is when you have a dispute about parenting time. If you are trying to get full custody, or the majority of parenting time, but have numerous posts of nights out until 1 AM drinking and partying with friends, your partner may be able to use this as evidence as to why you’re not fit to have full custody.
If you’ve requested spousal maintenance, for example, and claimed you did not have a job, your social media should reflect that. You don’t want to have a LinkedIn profile that shows a burgeoning 3 year side business designing and selling holiday decor. This may be used to counter your claim for support because you’ve had a steady income for the past 3 years.
Staying off of social media does not mean you will get everything you want in your divorce. It simply means that you’re not giving your partner additional ammunition to use against you during negotiation or litigation. If you’re unsure about how your social media accounts may affect you, contact divorce attorney Brian Grady for a consultation at (630) 351-4466.
You need to protect your children
While it’s tempting to use social media as an outlet for your stress, you should avoid it at all costs. When you are going through a divorce, the last thing that you want to be doing is posting anything online that could make things worse. If you have older children, who are likely also on social media, they will be able to see everything you are posting. It is certain that your priority is for the well being of your children.
Moving forward, they are going to have a relationship with both parents. You do not want them to feel guilty about loving their mother or father. You do not want them to feel bad about the demise of your relationship. You do not want them to be in the middle of an online embroil.
Exercising restraint is essential throughout the divorce process. Of course you may be hurt and have raw emotions, but it will be better to consult a close friend off line or even a therapist. Divorce attorney Brian Grady can help you focus on the future, so your family is secure.
Minimize the impact of your online presence
There are ways that you can minimize the impact of your online presence. First, you can set your accounts to private, so a limited audience sees your posts. Second, you should review your friends and delete anyone that you don’t know very well and that you’re not comfortable viewing personal information about you and your family. Third, you should change your passwords. Chances are you and your partner have common passwords for paying bills, online accounts, and even social media. You want to make sure your online accounts are fully protected.
Divorce attorney Brian Grady will protect your interests
When you’re going through a divorce, it’s important to stay off social media. Posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can be seen by anyone and could have an impact on your case. If the court sees that there has been improper behavior on either side of the divorce proceedings, then this can have serious consequences for both parties involved. Divorce attorney Brian Grady will help you throughout the divorce process and ensure your social media presence does not adversely affect your case. Contact the Law Office of Brian Grady today for a consultation.
