Most Illinois residents have at least one social media account such as Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Keeping in touch with friends and family no matter where they may be on the planet has never been easier. While there are many good things about social media, during a divorce, it could turn out to be more of a hindrance than a help.
Even though the law may still be working to catch up to the digital age, the use of evidence from social media has become fairly commonplace. Illinois residents facing the end of their marriages may want to keep this in mind as they post status updates and pictures. A seemingly innocent photograph could end up costing during the divorce proceedings.
One thing that many people are cautioned about is not engaging in a battle of words over social media. Some soon-to-be former spouses post negative comments about the other party. It would not be advisable to respond in kind, especially if child custody is an issue. The court does take the attitudes of each party into consideration when making these types of decisions. For instance, if one parent does not appear to be willing to work with the other, it could affect how parenting time is divided between the parties.
There are numerous benefits to social media, but in a divorce, most people are encouraged to dial back their online presence. This can prevent providing negative evidence about one party to the other. One thing to remember is that the privacy believed to exist on social media is not as private as most people think, and the words and pictures posted could easily come back to haunt one or both parties during the proceedings.
Source: abc15.com, “Jaburg Wilk: Divorce in the digital age and quieting your twitter fingers“, Carissa Seidl, Feb. 8, 2018
