Do Not Make These Social Media Mistakes During Your Divorce

 Posted on February 19, 2019 in Divorce

Social media has revolutionized the way we talk to our friends and loved ones. Most people who experience a major life change such as a marriage or birth of a child write about the event on their social media pages. Ideally, everyone would be able to post what they wanted to online without any negative consequences. Realistically, however, almost everything you do or say online could come back to cause problems for you during divorce. Those undergoing a separation or divorce should make sure to post with caution and avoid the most common social media blunders.

Bragging About Expensive Vacations or Other Purchases

You can inadvertently cause problems for yourself in the future by posting information about major purchases on social media during your divorce. If you are putting pictures up of a new car or computer, this will could your argument for spousal support. You may have been pinching pennies for a long time to afford your new things, but such posts can create the impression that you are making money “under the table” or are otherwise not being honest about your assets.

Glorifying Drug and Alcohol Use

Most people who get divorced understandably struggle with the negative emotions associated with ending a marriage. In order to deal with this, they may turn to drugs, alcohol, or other unhealthy coping mechanisms. If you are a parent and you post pictures of yourself partying on a regular basis, your soon-to-be-ex could argue that your social media posts depict an unhealthy lifestyle. This is likely to further complicate child custody and visitation issues.

Parental Alienation

Everyone feels better after venting their frustrations about a spouse or soon-to-be-ex-spouse. However, if you are a parent who is planning to end your marriage, you should be extra careful about what you post online. Rants or negative comments about your spouse can be seen by your children and could lead to allegations of “parental alienation.” Parental alienation is a term used for instances when one parents attempts to turn their children against the other parent. Such behavior is deeply upsetting to children and Illinois courts do not look favorably on parents who attempt to use their children as weapons.

Contact an Arlington Heights Family Law Attorney for Help

If you are getting divorced and have further questions about the dissolution of marriage, child custody, or other family law issues, reach out to the experienced family law professionals at the Law Offices of Donald J. Cosley. To schedule a free, confidential consultation with a Rolling Meadows divorce lawyer, call 847-253-3100 today.

Sources:

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/avoid-these-costly-divorce-mistakes-2019-02-08

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jefflanders/2013/08/20/how-social-media-can-affect-your-divorce/