You will probably experience a lot of difficult emotions during your divorce process. This may cause you to reach out to friends and family for support, and what better way to do that than utilizing Facebook and other social media outlets, right? Actually, using social media right now might be a bad idea.
Your best course of action is to completely avoid Facebook and all other social media websites during your divorce proceedings. This is because, no matter how careful you are, it’s easy to make a mistake by posting “too much information” or status updates that could be misinterpreted and used against you in court during your divorce.
Mistakes people make on social media during divorce
Here are some of the most common mistakes divorcing spouses make on social media during their legal proceedings:
Posting too much information too early
Discretion is important when it comes to Facebook and divorce proceedings. For example, you might not want to change your relationship status right away, as having this information get out to people who are not your closest friends could have unintended consequences. Other public announcements about your divorce on social media may also have the wrong effect on your relationship with your soon-to-be ex, and this could affect the ease of your divorce negotiations.
Talking badly about your ex online
Another big mistake involves posting negative things about your soon-to-be ex online. This will only create difficult feelings and interfere with your divorce process. Depending on what is said, these kinds of statements could also be used against a spouse as evidence during court proceedings.
Posting information that makes it look like you’re dishonest
You might say that you’re suffering during your divorce process, but what if your Facebook pictures make it look like you’re enjoying the good life? A skilled divorce lawyer can use your photos from Facebook to weave a different story about your life than the one you’ve presented in court.
Play it safe and don’t use social media during your divorce
There are so many mistakes one can make with social media during the divorce process that it’s best to avoid social media altogether. Even if a divorcing spouse is careful and doesn’t make a mistake, the material shared on social media could be misconstrued, misinterpreted or spun by a skilled lawyer to work against someone in an unintended way. Don’t let this happen to you. Simply refrain from using social media during your divorce and you’ll be much better off in the long run.