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3 social media mistakes that you can easily avoid during divorce

On Behalf of | Jun 3, 2021 | Divorce

Many people can’t go more than an hour or two without checking their preferred social media platforms or apps. Digital socialization has become a cornerstone of modern relationships and networking.

Social media gives you instant contact with friends, old work acquaintances and family all over the world. It can plug you into a vast network of support and help you stay connected with your community. Unfortunately, there are downsides to the relatively new habit of openly sharing your most personal experiences with a huge amount of people online.

One of them is that almost anything you say can wind up used against you in court. If you are about to go through a divorce, it’s probably a good idea to avoid these three social media mistakes.

1) Don’t trash-talk your ex

Regardless of what kinds of filters you have on your social media to limit who sees your posts or how quickly you blocked your spouse and their family members when your relationship started to decline, what you post online about your ex could easily get back to them.

You never know who in your social circle might revel in the opportunity to stir up some drama by passing the screenshots of your posts or even private messages that you have sent to others.

Anything that looks like an accusation against your spouse or their character could come back to haunt you in court, especially if you share children, as that may make the judge believe claims that you intend to alienate your ex from the children.

2) Don’t try to show how perfect your life is now

Instead of focusing on what your ex did wrong, your damage control method for the situation might involve trying to project an image of yourself living your best life. Bragging about a trip to the salon or a raise at work could lead to complications in your divorce.

What you post online might mean that your ex tries to claim that you dissipated marital funds on wasteful personal spending or that they have a right to alimony because of your higher income now. Keeping any major personal changes close to the chest until the courts finalize your divorce is probably a good decision, even if you are happy.

3) Don’t use it to communicate with your ex

The informal and indirect nature of social media communication via direct or private messages often lends itself to aggressive rhetoric that people would not engage in were they speaking face-to-face.

Not only could you say things more dramatically or run the risk of what you say getting misinterpreted by your ex when you communicate on social media, but you also leave a written record of the entire conversation.

For some people, the best approach to social media during a divorce might be to take a brief hiatus. Other times, you might commit to only posting about your pet, or other matters not related to your marriage or financial circumstances. A little bit of caution can help you avoid mistakes that could lead to a less favorable outcome in your divorce.

 

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