The technological revolution has spawned the advent of social media, which continues to spread into corners of our lives once held to be private and personal. Some experienced observers thus recommend that a person in a divorce or custody matter check one’s social media content to make sure that nothing questionable appears there. In Georgia or elsewhere, this may be helpful with respect to a child custody battle, where many casual expressions can be misconstrued.
Despite involvement in a divorce or child custody matter, some people tend to talk too freely about personal matters on Facebook, Twitter and perhaps other services. They may think nothing of a casual remark, least of all that it may be used against them in a legal proceeding. But it’s becoming evident that taking safeguards can be important, even if just to be assured that no compromising material is coming by surprise through the back door.
An experienced divorce attorney knows that being prepared is the hallmark of success. In fact, some attorneys go through an opposing party’s Facebook pages just to double-check if there is some tidbit that can help his or her client’s child custody case. In that light, some observers recommend changing all passwords and all settings that allow for joint sharing.
Some assertive people may prefer using the media to post items that are somehow supportive of one’s positions and sharing the self-serving information freely. However, all things considered, it’s probably a mistake. It increases the chances for saying the wrong thing, or for appearing to be insincere. The main purpose here is to make sure there’s nothing for the other side to use that may be conflicting or otherwise impeaching with respect to one’s factual and legal positions.
Whether the litigation is in Georgia or elsewhere, it may be prudent to separate all online accounts and switch to separate accounts in one’s name alone. Before doing this, however, it is advisable to consult with one’s child custody lawyer and get the okay for contemplated changes. The attorney can best determine whether aggressive activities to change accounts will be beneficial, or whether such moves may somehow backfire against the client.
Source: Visalia Times-Delta, “Divorcing? 5 things to do online now”, Kim Komando, July 15, 2014
