If you are like most people living in the United States in the 21st century, you use social media on a daily basis. Apps and websites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok allow you to connect with friends and family, follow news stories, and communicate with others who share your interests. However, this level of connection may also have its drawbacks, especially if you are going through a divorce. As you go through the process of ending your marriage, you should take steps to protect your privacy and avoid any issues that could affect your divorce case.

Social Media and Privacy Concerns

During the divorce process, making sure your personal information is private is likely to be a major concern. If you and your spouse have shared a computer or other electronic devices, you may have had access to each other’s social media accounts. To ensure that your spouse cannot log into your account to view your personal information or make posts in your name, you will want to change your passwords, and you may also want to update your account settings to make sure you can only log in from certain devices.

You should also be aware of privacy settings on the posts you make. While you may be able to restrict access to certain posts so they can only be viewed by your close friends or family members, you should be prepared for the possibility that your spouse could still view this information. For example, a mutual friend may decide to take a screenshot of a message or photo you posted and send it to your spouse. To make sure your privacy is protected, you may want to avoid posting or sharing any information that you would not want your spouse to see.

You have made the difficult decision to divorce your spouse. Now comes the uncomfortable step of telling others about your divorce. Some couples choose to save time by making a public announcement using social media. While the idea seems awkward, there are advantages to announcing your divorce on social media:

• You can present a unified message with your spouse, explaining your decision.
• You will have fewer individual conversations with others, breaking the news about your divorce.
• You can set your expectations for privacy and whether you do not want others to talk to you about your divorce.

Before announcing your divorce on social media, you should consider whether doing so is appropriate in your situation.

Reasons It May Be Inappropriate

First, you should tell your family about your divorce before you make a social media announcement. Your children and other close family members deserve to hear the news from you personally and before other acquaintances because your divorce affects them on a more personal level. When considering whether a social media announcement is appropriate, you should ask yourself:

Many users of social media have gotten into the habit of oversharing personal information. They have an unfounded belief that only a select group of friends will see what they post online. A savvy user knows not to post embarrassing or incriminating information about themselves to Facebook, Twitter, or any of the other popular social media applications. People going through a divorce must be even more cautious about how they use social media. A divorce attorney will investigate the opposing spouse’s social media accounts for evidence to use against him or her. Seemingly benign posts can damage someone's reputation in the context of a divorce. Divorce courts are given discretion in settling cases, and damaging social media posts may affect the:

• Division of marital property;
• Allocation of parental responsibilities; and
• Child and spousal support payments.

There are several instances in which social media can be used against you during a divorce.

Attacking Your Spouse