Year after year, social media continues to play a major role in every day affairs. With the rise of giants such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, along with newcomers such as TikTok, it seems like everyone is saying their piece on social media nowadays. 

While there are a lot of benefits for folks to stay connected with one another via technology, such widespread and easily accessible communication tools come with certain risks as well. This is doubly true if you’re currently dealing with or navigating a California divorce. Today, we’re highlight ways which social media can impact your divorce as well as discussing strategies that can help you mitigate these risks. 

How Social Media Can Impact Your Divorce Proceedings

The most important thing to remember when it comes to social media and divorce is that everything you post can be admissible in court. Likewise, any interactions you or others have with you or your loved ones can also be used as evidence which could weaken arguments on your side. Specifically, social media can impact the following key aspects of your divorce:

• Asset division: Social media posts can highlight your lifestyle or spending habits in ways that could be used against you during asset division. If the ex is trying to paint a negative image of your financial habits or uphold you to increased child support or alimony payments, your social media posts could come back to haunt you.
• Child custody and visitation: Courts prioritize the well-being and safety of children when it comes to custody and visitation issues. Any unsavory posts or interactions could be used as a sign that you may not be the ideal parent, or that your actions could place your kids in any form of danger.
• Spousal support: Likewise, any claims of financial hardship from either end can fall on deaf ears if your social media posts show an opulent or comfortable lifestyle. This can be the case even if your posts are exaggerated or not based on your actual day to day financial status.

Steps to Protect Yourself Online During CA Divorce Proceedings

We at the White Oak Law are experienced in dealing with a wide range of family law and divorce issues. These days, social media and online presence play an increasingly large role in divorce proceedings, which is why we always caution clients to be wary of their online habits and play it safe. 

Here are some suggestions and strategies that can help you keep a cleaner online persona and avoid any unnecessary trouble from social media during your CA divorce.

• Think before you post: Do you really need to share this picture, thought, or video online while your divorce proceedings are underway? If you’re sure it is fully safe, go ahead but generally we’d advise you play it safe.
• Lock down your accounts and double check privacy settings: Make sure your posts and pictures are only accessible to a close group of trusted people and not open to the public. Even then, consider who you have in your inner circle that may deliberately or unintentionally share your content with others.
• Keep records and save screenshots as needed: This advice goes both ways, if the ex is making unsavory posts or sending you harassing messages, be sure to save all of this evidence. This can be useful in your upcoming divorce proceedings and can give you an added edge. 
• When in doubt, stay offline: In some cases, it’s better to just go entirely offline until after your divorce is finalized. Many people are busybodies and love to share online gossip, so sometimes it is best to not even create a trail to begin with.

We hope these tips helped highlight the risks that come with social media during divorce proceedings. Learn more about this and other related topics by connecting with our attorneys at the White Oak Law directly. Give us a call today at 925-271-0999 to book an appointment today.