Family Law

The Impact of Facebook and Other Social Media Sites on Divorce and Custody Cases

By Ben Stevens

The impact of social media on the area of family law has been a hot topic recently.  I have recently posted several articles about this subject, and this week's Time magazine features an article discussing the impact of Facebook on divorce cases in America.

Social media sites such as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and many others make it very easy to connect (or reconnect) with other people.  Finding someone can often be done in a few clicks.  However, this ease of use can cause problems for those looking to disconnect from a relationship.  For instance, this article discusses the "semipublic laundry-airing that can turn aggrieved spouses into enraged ones and friends into embarrassed spectators."

Of course, savvy divorce attorneys know that social media sites can be great sources of helpful and often "game-changing" information in divorce or child custody cases.  Consider the following examples given in the article: 

• Did your husband's new girlfriend Twitter about getting a piece of jewelry? The court might regard that as marital assets being disbursed to a third party.
• Did your wife tell the court she's incapable of getting a job? Then your lawyer should ask why she's pursuing job interviews through LinkedIn.
• What about the mother who assure the Court that she hadn't been drinking, only to have dated photos of herself drinking (and smoking) on her MySpace page?
• What about the mother who listed herself on a dating site as single with no kids?  How much doubt does this cast on her truthfulness?

What other problems / benefits can arise from social media sites and how do they impact family law cases?  Click HERE to read the Time article and also feel free to submit your Comments below to let me know your thoughts.

Source:  "Facebook and Divorce" by Belinda Lunscombe, published at Time.com.

Full post as published by SC Family Law Blog on June 22, 2009 (boomark / email).