Many of us have discovered that social media platforms make us feel more connected with the world around us. Unfortunately, despite this advantage, social media accounts can end up as hurdles if you are navigating a family matter and details gleaned online are used in the wrong way.
There are some strategies, however, that you can implement to greatly reduce the odds that you will be negatively affected by your social media posts.
Avoid Posting Personal Details
If you decide that you must use social media while navigating a family law matter, you should remember to keep things light. Sharing humorous memes or pretty pictures of the sunset is a good way to go. By all means, avoid sharing photographs about your personal life or recent purchases because these can end up being used against you.
Sometimes during family law cases, a person might be required to provide a digital download of all the content on their social media accounts. This means that a person will be required to provide information about whatever he or she has posted recently. It is best to not use social media at all or to greatly reduce the type of content that you post.
Review Your Privacy Settings
For people who continue using their social media accounts during a family law matter, it is vital to restrict the privacy settings on their social media accounts so content cannot be seen by the public. Many people decide to restrict information shared on these accounts to family and close friends. Otherwise, there is a much greater risk that information shared on these accounts will be used against you. While restricting privacy settings, it is also important to make sure that you cannot be tagged or associated with content that family or friends might post about you on social media.
Many people also decide to take the additional step of notifying their family members about their desire for privacy to avoid the creation of this type of incriminating content. Furthermore, it is also a wise idea to make sure to change your social media account passwords, particularly if a former spouse knew this data.
Discontinue Social Media
As has already been mentioned several times in this blog, one of the best steps that you can take to avoid undesirable consequences from a social media account during a family law matter is to temporarily deactivate or step away from social media accounts altogether. This way you can return to the account once the family law matter has concluded.
Speak with a Family Law Attorney
It is critical to exercise caution if you use social media accounts while navigating any type of family law issue you. There are also several helpful strategies that you should remember.
Fortunately, an experienced family law attorney can help review your best options. Contact Vayman & Teitelbaum, P.C. today to schedule a case evaluation.
