It’s probably tempting to talk about an upcoming divorce on social media. Many people post everything major that happens in their life on such platforms nowadays. Determining that you are going to end your marriage certainly seems like something you would want to share.
However, it’s generally better to keep any details of your divorce off of social media until the process has ended. Here are just two reasons why this is generally a preferable approach.
Social media posts can find their way into court
To start with, your social media posts can be used as evidence. If there’s a situation in which something you posted could impact the divorce process, your spouse could bring that to light. Remember that it is very difficult to ever delete anything permanently from the Internet.
For instance, maybe your spouse is accusing you of dissipating marital assets. You say that you’re certainly not doing this, but then they present social media posts about purchases you’ve made recently. They bring in other posts about how angry you are about the divorce and how you don’t want to share your assets. This combination could convince the court that you’re trying to spend those assets down intentionally – even if that’s not what you’re doing.
Posting can increase the risk of conflict
The second thing to remember is that communication is important in a divorce. It’s wise to set up specific ways in which you and your ex will communicate, such as text or email. You also want to avoid saying anything insulting or hurtful. If your ex sees you venting about them on social media, they may be less likely to work with you or come to any sort of compromise. This is just going to make the divorce process take longer and become far more complicated.
Getting the process started
Some people even say that it’s wise to delete social media entirely while you’re going through a divorce. That may not be necessary, but you will want to be careful about what you post while you look into all of the necessary legal steps to get the divorce process underway and start seeking legal guidance.