We know the power of social media to affect our lives socially. But it can also affect us emotionally, physically, and even financially during marital problems, like divorce. By monitoring the amount of time we spend online on social networking sites, we can make divorce proceedings less daunting and easier to manage.
Drawbacks of Social Media
Despite all the hype about the benefits of social media, it can put a damper on many aspects of relationship-building. Many of us feel that social networking sites promote personal and professional connections. Yet, some of the people we meet online are not always our friends or followers.
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Airing grievances to these people can be dangerous, giving them too much personal information to share with others. When married couples break up, their mutual acquaintances may find it hard to remain loyal to either one. In this way, social media can fan the fires of gossip and worsen the situations of divorce.
Reasons to Be Cautious
Clients need to be cautious and avoid the trappings of social media during divorce proceedings. We are sometimes advised by our attorneys to quit using social media altogether. This is perhaps the only way to ensure that future problems do not arise because of something we said during a moment of frustration.
Many of us will find that we don’t need a daily dose of online networking. Instead, we can pick one day during the week to go to our favorite sites. Next, we should try to spend more quality, face-to-face time with our friends and associates. By spending the time to speak directly to one another, we can avoid gripe sessions played out online for the world to see.
Taking Precautions
There are many ways we can protect ourselves against the dangers of social media. When couples divorce, online activity can uncover their finances, allowing former mates to track their assets. Also, posts, tweets, and text messages found on social media sites can be used as admissible evidence during divorce court.
Because social media activity is both public and permanent, we must carefully monitor how we use it. Exercising discretion and better judgment is the key to protecting ourselves when a divorce case delves into social media use.
Summing It Up
When involved in a divorce, enlisting the aid of attorneys who are knowledgeable about social media is important. Attorneys can help to track and document the online activity of spouses while giving advice to you about what you can do to protect your interests.
