Should I Shut Down My Social Media Accounts During My Family Law Case?
Family law attorneys like to control every variable when it comes to representing our clients. In cases where we have a client who is active on social media, we often caution our clients concerning what they should and should not post. In many cases, a client can post something or have a picture posted of them doing something that could impact their divorce case. This is especially true when it comes to child custody matters. A fun night at the bar can be used against you by opposing counsel. So, you want to be very careful about what you post when you’re involved in an active divorce case. In this article, the Tampa, FL divorce lawyers at Faulkner Law Group, PLLC will discuss why you should consider shutting down your social media account while your divorce case is being heard by the courts.
The impact of social media on your divorce case
Your social media posts can have a profound impact on your family law case. Your posts can affect everything from your child custody and timesharing issues to property division and alimony. Incriminating photos, inflammatory posts about your ex, and more can be used as evidence against you in your divorce proceedings. It is absolutely crucial to be aware of how every post can impact your case. You will need to start viewing your posts through the lens of opposing counsel and judges and not just reactions from your friends.
Social media and child custody cases
One of the most common ways that social media affects family law cases is child custody matters. When judges hear testimony on child custody issues, their role is to evaluate the parental fitness of both parties. If one party is making accusations against the other party in terms of their parental fitness, social media posts can be used against them. Your online activity, including photos in which you are tagged (that you didn’t even post), status updates, and comments on other people’s statuses can be leveraged to imply that you are not a fit parent. You want to avoid posting pictures (or having pictures of you posted) while you are out at the bar or at a party. You further want to avoid making status updates about your case and especially derogatory status updates about your ex. While it may be tempting, it could be used as evidence of parental alienation. Parental alienation is when one parent attempts to turn the children against the other parent. You may think your post is funny. Chances are slim that a family court judge will agree.
Talk to a Tampa, FL Divorce Lawyer Today
Faulkner Law Group, PLLC represents the interests of Tampa residents who are pursuing a divorce in the State of Florida. Call our Tampa family lawyers today to schedule an appointment, and we can begin discussing your goals right away.
