Dallas Divorce Law Blog

When people file for divorce in Texas, it may not occur to them that their past Facebook posts can be used against them, or that such posts can be used against a spouse. But several instances across the nation show that it can and does happen.

While using Facebook as evidence can be more common in child custody cases than divorce cases, it can apply to all kinds of family law disputes.

When two people in Texas decide to get a divorce, a premarital agreement in place can make their division of assets fairly predictable. For former NFL star Deion Sanders, that means he may have to pay a large sum for a home for his ex-wife.

Sanders and his wife, Pilar, were married for 12 years and announced their impending divorce late last year. Sanders, known as "Prime Time" to many of his fans, announced the split on Facebook. According to various reports, as a stipulation of their prenuptial agreement, Sanders will be required to provide his estranged spouse with funds worth half of the value of their home. In other words, he will be paying a lot of money for her new home.

It can be important for people with high incomes and numerous assets to make use of premarital agreements. The absence of such agreements can lead a person to pay their estranged spouse a huge divorce settlement.

That scenario can happen with high-profile celebrities, for example. After months of rumors, Russell Brand and Katy Perry recently announced they are divorcing after 14 months of marriage.

The sour economy and high unemployment rate has implications beyond the pocketbook. In terms of families, unemployment can cause major tension and strife. Interestingly, it does not affect the divorce rate the way you may think.

According to NPR, research shows that unemployment causes rifts within families. One study shows that more than a fifth of Americans out of work for a year say that their intimate relationships changed for the worse. At the same time, however, for every 1 percent increase in unemployment, there is a 1 percent decrease in the divorce rate.