How Social Media Can Affect Your Family Law Case

Social media is a popular way of sharing information and keeping in touch with friends and family. A majority of Americans use social media. According to Pew Research Center, approximately 7 out of 10 Americans use social media. However, many people don’t know that social media can be used in court cases. Social media can even be used in family law cases, such as divorce, timesharing, property division, and child support cases. Information collected from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or other social media platforms can be submitted as evidence in family law cases. If you have a family law case, it is best to remain careful about what you post on social media. If possible, you should refrain from posting anything on social media until your case is concluded. Even a seemingly innocent post can end up being used against you and having far-reaching consequences.

In this article, we share some types of posts that can cause problems in family law cases and what kind of problems these posts can cause.

What Kind of Posts Can Cause Problems in Family Law Cases?

The following are some of the types of posts that can cause problems in family law cases and the kinds of issues these posts can cause;

• Negative comments about the other party: If, for example, you have a timesharing case and you post negative comments about your child’s other parent online, it may reflect poorly on your credibility. Negative comments about the other parent may affect timesharing or parenting arrangements.
• Private information: If, for instance, you post private information about your spouse during your divorce, it can impact divorce proceedings.
• Threats of violence: Making threats of violence online can harm your case. For example, in a timesharing case, it can be used to show that it will be detrimental for your child to stay with you. On top of harming your case, posting threats of violence can result in legal implications, such as a restraining order being issued against you or a criminal case.
• Displaying a lavish lifestyle: For example, posts depicting a lavish lifestyle can impact the outcome of a child support or property division case.
• Explicit or provocative pictures: Such pictures can be considered inappropriate and can impact timesharing determinations, on top of ruining your reputation.
• Pictures showing drug or alcohol use: Such images may show a lack of responsibility. They may show that it is not safe for your child to be with you.

This is not an exhaustive list of the types of posts that can cause problems in family law cases. Many more posts can cause issues for you.

To reiterate, it is best that if you have a pending family law proceeding, you stay off social media until your case is concluded. If you cannot stay off social media, remain highly vigilant of what you post. If you must, seek other people’s opinions about what you are about to post before posting it.  Keep in mind that you cannot later delete the post as this can be considered as tampering with evidence or spoliation of evidence, both of which are serious infractions.

Contact Our Jacksonville Family Lawyers

If you are facing a family law matter, it is highly advisable that you seek the help of a qualified family law attorney. Our Jacksonville family lawyers at The Lasky Law Firm are here for you. Feel free to contact us.

Source:

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