Thinking of Divorce? Beware of Facebook

If you are planning to file for divorce you should strongly consider deleting your Facebook account or any other accounts you may have on social networking sites.

Divorce attorneys throughout the country are seeing an increase in evidence gathered from Facebook to be used in a divorce or child custody battle. In fact, according to a survey conducted by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML), 81% of the attorneys who responded to the survey said they saw an increase in the use of Facebook evidence. And while damaging evidence can be gathered from any social networking site, Facebook is by far the leader, followed by MySpace and then Twitter.

Many people don't think of Facebook as anything but a place to connect with new people and keep up with old friends. But there are many ways a disgruntled, bitter, or resentful ex can use Facebook to work against you. For example, if you post pictures that show you and your friends drinking one night, your ex can take the pictures and claim you have tendency to drink a lot or act inappropriately, when in actuality you were just having fun with friends. Furthermore, if you exchange flirtatious emails or wall posts with another man or woman, your ex might take those messages and claim you were unfaithful during your marriage.

What should you take away from this? If you are getting divorced protect yourself by deleting your Facebook account. Although you can block people from viewing your profile, there ways your ex may still be able to access your page. And while California is a no fault divorce state, a judge will certainly not look favorably on any indiscretions you have posted on Facebook.

If you have made the decision to separate from your spouse, a San Diego divorce attorney at Claery & Green can ensure your rights are advocated and your best interests are protected throughout the divorce process. To learn more, contact Claery & Green today!