How Social Media Can Influence Your Illinois Divorce

 Posted on October 15, 2019 in Divorce

Social media websites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Reddit have become an integral part of many Americans’ lives. In fact, one study shows that about 70 percent of all U.S adults actively use Facebook to keep up with friends and family. Because of this, social media accounts are becoming increasingly influential in divorce cases. What you post on your Facebook page can affect issues such as child custody, spousal maintenance, child support, and more. If you are ending your marriage, read on to learn about how your online activity can be used against you during divorce and how to take steps to protect your privacy.

Online Activity Can Affect Child Custody Decisions

What you do and say online can directly affect your divorce. Many people ending a marriage have intense feelings of resentment towards their spouse. While these feelings are understandable, you should avoid venting these frustrations online. Posting disparaging things about your spouse online could possibly damage your credibility and influence the court’s opinion of you. 

In addition, if you are a parent, you should be careful about what you post online, because the messages, comments, pictures, and videos you share could affect child custody decisions. For example, if a parent regularly posts pictures of drinking, drug use, partying, and other questionable activities, the other parent may claim that this is a demonstration of irresponsibility and parental unfitness. He or she could then argue that a parent who engages in this type of behavior should not be given the majority of parenting time.

Social Media Posts Can Be Evidence of Dissipation or Financial Dishonesty

While we often think of divorce as the end of a romantic relationship, it is also the end of a financial relationship. Your income, expenses, and overall financial circumstances will heavily influence your divorce. For example, if you are seeking spousal maintenance (alimony), you will typically need to prove to the court that you require this financial support from your ex-spouse. Posting pictures of expensive purchases or extravagant vacations can create the image that you are not being forthcoming about your real financial situation. 

In some circumstances, sharing pictures or other evidence of excessive spending can even lead to claims of asset dissipation. When a spouse dissipates assets, he or she wastes marital funds or property on purposes unrelated to the marriage during the end of the relationship. If the court finds that you dissipated property, you could be forced to reimburse your spouse for the misused or wasted assets.  

Contact a Wheaton Divorce Lawyer

For sound legal guidance regarding child custody, property division, spousal maintenance, and other aspects of divorce, contact The Stogsdill Law Firm, P.C. Our knowledgeable attorneys boast an impressive 110 years of collective legal experience, and we are ready to put that experience to work for you. To speak with a DuPage County family law attorney about your divorce-related needs, schedule a confidential consultation today by calling 630-462-9500.

Sources:

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/05/16/facts-about-americans-and-facebook/

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/divorce-digital-age-collision-course-072251941.html