As adults, we have to control ourselves and our emotions. Unfortunately, not everyone remembers to do this during a divorce. Some spouses end up resentful and even toxic during the end of a marriage. One common tactic is for these angry exes to access digital accounts. If you are currently going through a divorce, it is a good idea to take some critical steps to protect your digital privacy during this difficult time.

Update Your Passwords

There are ways to access password-protected accounts even if you never told your ex your password.

For example, if a former spouse has access to your email account, it is possible to get a password reset sent to this email. Other times, you might have left yourself logged into an account on a device owned by your former spouse. Another common problem is that many devices store usernames and passwords so that users can quickly login to accounts in the future. 

There are often ways for your spouse to obtain your password that you might not anticipate. The best way to keep your accounts protected is to update all of your passwords now. If your spouse is logged in to your account, resetting your password will log you out across devices.

Disable Location Sharing

Various digital accounts have location-sharing features that keep people updated about where you are and what you are doing. While some people turn on location search to purposefully share where they are, other people are not even aware that they have done so. 

Check whether your former spouse can spy on you using a “lost my phone” feature. Turn off the feature on various social media accounts that automatically share details about where you are. There is a potential that your spouse could end up using these details against you.

Be Cautious About Social Media Usage

Nearly all social media accounts provide the option to restrict who is able to view them. Most people with social media accounts, however, know various workarounds to find out confidential data that is posted to a person’s account. Your former spouse may choose to disguise him or herself and request to be your friend online in order to access your private information.

Other times, someone with whom you and your ex are mutual friends may share data gleaned from your profile with your former spouse. While it might not seem like a big deal if your former spouse finds out about things you share on social media, it is important to remember that your ex could use this data against you in a court of law. 

Speak with a Skilled Divorce Attorney

If you plan on getting divorced, remember to protect your digital accounts from your former spouse. There are many other important steps to follow during the divorce process, and an experienced attorney at Vayman & Teitelbaum, P.C. can review these with you. Contact our law office today to schedule a free case evaluation.