Divorce and Social Media: Virginia Family Law Firm Offers Guidance

Arlington, Virginia Divorce Attorney Protects the Interests of Clients

Anyone with a smartphone is likely to be plugged into some form of social media, whether it is to share photos of pets, look for advice, or to vent frustration. In a divorce case however, shares on social media should be strictly limited, as they may create ample evidence that can be used against one or both parties and could affect decisions regarding fault, child custody, and support issues.

Email and text messages can be admissible in court and can even be subpoenaed as evidence. Even if one spouse is blocked from seeing the other’s social media, they are still often able to see what friends are posting, so no information can be considered private, unless it is not shared with anyone in the first place. Rule of thumb: if you don’t want a judge reading it, don’t write it anywhere, especially online.

If one spouse tweets about a new job or an upcoming bonus, this information might be used as evidence of dishonesty in financial declarations; and posting pictures of a new significant other can also be used as evidence of infidelity. For these reasons, divorce attorneys typically advise their clients to keep all written communications free of sensitive information during a divorce, or better yet, that they stop using social media until the divorce is final.

Contact an Experienced Virginia Family Law Attorney Today

If you have questions regarding how the use of social media can affect a divorce, Claudia Zucker has represented divorce clients in the state of Virginia for more than two decades. Contact us online or call (703) 596-1005 to set up your initial consultation and get your questions answered today.