A recent study shows that the average smartphone owner touches their device more than 2,600 times a day. Power users can more than double that figure. The app that gets the most attention is unlikely to surprise anyone. It's Facebook, of course.
The social media site links families, high school friends, co-workers, acquaintances and just about everyone else on planet Earth, it seems. Because it contains so much information about who we are and what we do, it also often contains information that can be used in your divorce, affecting everything fromchild custody and child support to property division and spousal support.
Social Media
In this information age, many family law attorneys advise clients to avoid social media entirely while the divorce process is ongoing. The reasoning is straightforward: anything and everything you post might wind up in court. And if you don't want the judge who is hearing your case to read it, don't post it.
One example cited in a recent article is of a family law attorney who found on LinkedIn a profile of his client's ex. The former husband was hiding a second business and income supplement. After the discovery, the child support amount the secretive entrepreneur owed was revised upward.
Email And Texts
The article on the impact of our digital lives on divorce made the point that it is not merely social media that can generate evidence. Your emails and texts can be admissible, too. With that in mind, it can be a smart to keep all sensitive information out of written form while a child custody dispute or other family law matter is under consideration by the courts.
An experienced family law attorney can answer questions about your divorce and help you take steps to protect your rights and your children.