Social media is a ubiquitous part of life for many of us. People use it to share triumphs, setbacks, and the mundane with friends, family and others. It can seem harmless to post updates or shots from a family trip, a night out with the girls, or a child’s accomplishment, but it is essential to remember that a person’s digital footprint will likely get scrutinized during a divorce. A spouse’s legal team may then use those posts for their purposes.
Time to go quiet
Just as judges place a freeze on large financial transactions (unless it is a regular part of a spouse’s job) during the initial discovery process, spouses will often be advised to keep a low profile online until the divorce is final. This precaution prevents such common digital missteps as:
- Active dating app profiles, especially if used before divorce proceedings began
- Festive photos of boozy nights out with friends
- Announcements of a new relationship or pictures of a new partner
- Pictures of expensive new purchases or luxury trips
Examining an individual’s digital footprint is not as important as scouring bank statements, retirement accounts and tax returns. Still, it can have such undesirable effects as impacting a parenting plan, prompting a deeper dive into financial documents and looking for hidden assets, or throwing specific claims about the marriage into question.
Discuss this with an attorney
Attorneys handling a client’s divorce provide a variety of valuable services and guidance. They include helping clients with strategies for addressing posts from the past or how to best handle a digital footprint during the divorce process.