Facebook has become a divorce lawyer’s dream. People post things on Facebook that in the past a lawyer could only have gotten by hiring a private investigator. It seems that today everyone shares their dirty laundry with their friends online. If you are getting divorced or even thinking about getting divorced, take a look at their Facebook page. Is there anything in there that you wouldn’t want your spouse, lawyers, or the judge to see? My basic advice to my clients is that if you don’t want your mother to see or read about it, then don’t post it for the world.
If you have posts on your Facebook page about going out drinking or who you’re dating, then you can count on your spouse’s divorce attorney to print them out. Those posts can be used as evidence against you at trial. Don’t forget about your friends’ pages, either. Does Sally have a juicy photo of you out on the town posted for the world to see? If she does, then I can find it.
Many clients have told me that their photos or posts are private, so don’t worry, right? Wrong! Your post and images can be private to the world, but you still share them with your friends. If you think they are safe, you are sadly wrong. I’ve seen private investigators “friend” people on different social sites to get juicy details or even contact people’s friend lists to see if anyone has photos they’d be willing to share. Also remember that it’s not just the images that are important. If you’ve told your spouse that he’ll be at Joe’s house on Friday night and he didn’t go there, Joe better not post where he was that night. Whether he is cheating or just misbehaving, attorneys are trained to find details of his life that will make him look worse in front of a judge. This is especially true when it comes to alimony and child custody.
Also remember that YouTube videos, text messages, dating services, voicemail, cell phones, even Global Positioning System receivers and E-ZPass records can be potentially goldmines of information. harmful If you’re thinking of getting divorced, it’s time to start cleaning up your online reputation. My advice? Close Facebook, Myspace, Google+ pages and delete any photos of yourself that you would rather not see as evidence in the courtroom. If you are already involved in a divorce, it may be too late for you. Ethical rules sometimes require parties to exchange information about themselves, so be sure to talk to your attorney before destroying any documents or photos.
If you think your spouse may have juicy information on a personal site, be sure to let your attorney know. Sometimes a photo really can be worth a 1000 words.