Rules for Social Media Use During Divorce

You might not want to broadcast everything that is going on in your divorce via social media.
All too often, disgruntled spouses take to sites like Facebook and Twitter to express their frustration with their ex-partners.
But if you hit "post" too hastily, you could be digging an even deeper hole for yourself -- and you may have to explain yourself in court. Here are five social media rules to keep in mind as you go through your divorce:

1. Don't rip your ex on Facebook. If you post an untruthful comment, you could be sued for libel. Even if you're telling the truth, you could sound like a raving maniac, which could potentially cost you when it comes time to determine child custody or other issues related to your divorce.


2. Even "innocuous" status updates can come back to bite you. Out drinking when you should have been burning the midnight oil at the office? You don't need to post what bar you're at on your Facebook wall. Check-ins and other posts may seem harmless, but they could support your spouse's contentions that you're deceitful or have a problem with alcohol.


3. Keep your social circles separate. Things you post on Facebook will eventually get back to your spouse if you share some of the same friends. So even if you are careful with what you post, you may want to separate your friends from your spouse's. This will help keep your information more private among your group of friends.


4. Don't post your location. If you are involved in a particularly contentious divorce, or are being threatened with violence, you may not want to post your whereabouts on social media. Resist the temptation to "check in" at every venue you visit.


5. Close your accounts. Don't trust your judgment? The surest way to protect yourself is by closing all of your social media accounts. Sure, you may seem like a hermit to your super-connected peers. Or you may seem really cool. Either way, sticking to pre-Internet forms of communication ensures that nothing said on social media can be used against you in your divorce.

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