Hi there,

Social media can become very problematic in a divorce case. Divorce lawyers, myself included, consider it a treasure trove of potentially useful information.We can obtain your online credentials and passwords in a contested matter so it all becomes fair game.

Here are my top ten tips for being safe on social media during your divorce:

1.If you can bear to, and I know some of you can’t, deactivate all of your social media accounts, this includes Facebook, Reddit, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and any other social media accounts you may have.

2. Do not delete any material you have previously posted. This seems counterintuitive but it is very important as there are strict rules about not disposing of potential evidence.

3. If you do not deactivate your accounts, and in some cases even if you deactivate them, immediately make sure all of your accounts have the highest privacy settings possible.

4. It’s important, as my grandmother used to tell me, to not write anything you wouldn’t want to see on the front page of the Times!  Remember anything you post can end up in Court, benign is the only way to go, think cute cat pictures and that’s it.

5. Unfriend and block anyone who you think might share information with your spouse.

6. Do not friend or accept any friend requests from anyone unless you are absolutely sure of who they are and that they pose no risk of communicating with your spouse.

7. Do not post videos or pictures of yourself or your kids, and don’t let anyone tag you or post pictures either.

8. Do not, ever, ever,ever, criticize your spouse or kids online.

9. Unless you need to for business purposes do not participate in blogs, chat rooms or message boards.

10. Do not forget to change all your passwords, immediately and at least monthly thereafter.

and think of all the spare time you will have with no Facebook!

Best,

Nancy