A person who is going through a divorce in Texas may want to think twice before posting personal information on social media. Off-the-cuff social media posts and photos can be misinterpreted, taken out of context and used as damning evidence in contentious divorce hearings.
Many people update their social media pages every day. When a person makes frequent social media posts containing information about where they are, what they are doing and whom they are with, these posts become like a public diary or logbook. If a divorcing parent wants to paint a negative picture of their soon-to-be ex-spouse in a child custody hearing, they could find some choice partying photos from social media. People who are pursuing modifications to decrease the child support or alimony they are paying may not want to post photos of themselves on lavish vacations that could prove to the judge that they can afford it.
Limiting social media use during a divorce may help a spouse in court as well as in their personal life. It can be tempting for a divorcing spouse to write negative posts, but these online statements can hurt children and other family members who might see them. Although posts can be deleted, they cannot always be forgotten by the friends and family members who might have seen them.
Evidence gleaned from social media is used in family court cases more and more. A person who is involved in a divorce may want to talk to a lawyer about what is on their social media pages. A lawyer may have suggestions about how to dispute the use of social media evidence in child custody or property division hearings.