How Social Media Use Can Affect Your Family Law Case

Smartphones are now a ubiquitous piece of technology used by countless individuals to access social media. Many people routinely share insight and photographs of their children and the many aspects of their daily routines and rituals. While this may be a fun pastime, it can often be used against one or both parties in a family law case, creating a bottomless well of evidence. Here are some ways in which social media can impact such a case.

Finances: Social media is the perfect platform for bragging. Individuals post pictures of lavish vacations, expensive purchases, and extravagant dinners. These posts can be used against a spouse who claims a low income to avoid paying spousal or child support. Additionally, such evidence is commonly used as evidence that a person who has failed to pay his or her child support or other court-ordered financial obligations has the ability to do so but chose to spend his or her money in a far less responsible manner.
Infidelity: Having an online dating profile before a divorce is finalized may present evidence of potential cheating. Additionally, most people often present themselves in a different light when crafting an online dating profile, which might contradict reality. If a person states something on his or her dating profile that differs from statements made in court, it may cause problems.

In addition to dating websites, social media may provide evidence of infidelity. For example, even if a party does not believe he or she is posting anything incriminating, his or her lover may be posting photographs of the two parties together, mysterious comments about his or her new love interest, or “checking in” to the locations of the parties’ dates. Such “check ins” can be very convincing circumstantial evidence when compared to the cheating spouse’s financial records and/or travel itinerary.

Child custody: All too often, people share every detail of their lives on social media. It is the perfect way to track a person’s activities. If a parent posts pictures of irresponsible or reckless behavior when he or she was supposed to be watching the children, it could be held against that parent in Court.
Emails and text messages: Social media is not the only thing people need to be concerned about while being involved in family law litigation. Emails and text messages are admissible evidence in court. Essentially, one should never write anything on any platform, unless he or she would be comfortable with a judge reading or seeing it because, chances are, that will happen should the case go before a judge.

The Alpharetta divorce lawyers at The Millard Law Firm are here to be your aid. We know that the divorce process and custody cases can be difficult even under the most amicable circumstances. Our skilled legal team will provide efficient legal representation for resolving cases inside or outside of the courtroom.