In this digital age, you need to know how to handle social media during a divorce. Anything you say or do on these online platforms can introduce a whole new layer of evidence during the discovery process, and it may negatively impact you if you are not careful. You will need to talk with a Chicago family law lawyer to get a more complete picture of what might be at stake after a post about your divorce, but this may include:
Maintenance
Division of assets
Division of debt
Child allocation
Child support
Parenting time
Text messages, email, Facebook Messenger chats, and other digital correspondence may be subpoenaed and investigated. It is best to keep sensitive information private. For example, if you are claiming financial hardship, posting photographs about your tropic vacation may disprove your hardship claim. Inconsistencies between divorce-related information you provide in court in court and what you casually share online will not be favorable to you.
Essentially, much like the rule about not putting anything out in public that you would not like your mom to see, keep in mind that such information may also persuade the judge against you on issues pertaining to your divorce. Also, be mindful that erasing information once a divorce has begun may backfire as well as it could be seen as evidence-tampering and may, ultimately, be recovered anyway. Both your and your spouse’s digital activity can be tracked.
The path to resolution of a divorce case is complex and not one you should travel alone. Depending on the financials and other related matters you will have to sort through, even new information you might learn, the Chicago divorce attorneys at Nottage and Ward, LLP have the experience and skill to help you navigate the discovery process. Call us at (312) 332-2915 and gain the benefit of our decades of experience.