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As of 6th April 2022 divorce law has changed drastically, thanks to the Divorce, Dissolution and Separation Act 2020. No-fault divorce is now law.
Therefore, the information in this article may be outdated. Please refer to our dedicated divorce page here for the most up to date information, or call us on 01202 499255.
More and more people are reliant upon social media and we are all at fault in exposing ourselves through social networks. Sure, you can adjust your security settings, but how safe are you even with the highest security settings? In recent years, there has been an ever increasing number of divorce cases in which posts uploaded to social networking sites have been used as evidence of new relationships and of financial assets held.
You may think by disconnecting from your former partner on social networking sites that you are no longer connected. Think again! The security settings you have on social networking sites may not prevent your former partner from coming across information about you. Head of Family team Heidi Cardoza says, "It is likely that you and your former partner will still have mutual friends and connections, and it is through these sources that information is often produced."
You may also be tagged or appear in photographs or postings made by friends, over which you may have no control. You must remember that anything you post on social networking sites is admissible in court. Even if you have deleted something, the court can still get an order to retrieve it and it can still be used as evidence.
Try to steer clear from using social media as your personal diary and log of your life. Anything you post online can be used as evidence. Common examples may include voicing your anger about your former partner online in an abusive or offensive manner, or posting photos of you and your child on holiday with your new partner, but telling your former partner a conflicting story, and the list goes on.
Social media has become a norm for society and will not be going away any time soon. Some might even say social media does more harm than good. To protect yourself, you may wish to reconsider how much time you spend on social networking sites and remember to think again before you next post online.
Our Family team based in Christchurch also cover Bournemouth, Poole and the New Forest. For a free initial chat, please call 01202 499255 and Heidi or a member of the team will be happy to discuss any questions that you may have.
