No one gets married thinking divorce might one day follow, but in truth, it often does, and the decisions you make during the transition can have substantial effects on how you fare in the proceedings. Nowadays, divorcing couples face problems that those who divorced years ago may not have, and social media usage is among them.
While it can prove tempting to amp up your online presence or reestablish old relationships as your divorce nears, doing so through social media channels has the potential to cause new issues. To avoid posting or doing anything online that could potentially lead to trouble, consider doing the following with regard to your social media use during divorce.
Not using it at all
Abstaining completely from social media is easier for some folks than others, and if you are a regular user, you may feel this just is not realistic. However, the easiest way to avoid landing in online-related trouble during divorce proceedings is to simply avoid using it completely, so if you can bring yourself to “cut the cord,” you may find yourself better off in the long run.
Not using dating sites
Never assume any level of privacy when it comes to your online life. You may want to start dating before your divorce finalizes to distract yourself, but it is wise to avoid creating any online dating profiles until the dust has settled and the divorce is final. Odds are, any profile you create can be easily found by your spouse and his or her legal team, and they may choose to reference it, should they try and argue infidelity.
Avoiding posts about assets or finance
You also want to exercise caution in everything you post, particularly if it involves assets. For example, should you post photos of, say, that expensive vacation you went on or that brand-new car, know that your spouse may try to use it as evidence of why you deserve less alimony.
Again, the safest way to avoid social media-related issues during your divorce is to simply not use it. For more about navigating a divorce, consider getting in contact with a lawyer.