In the past, one of the biggest things you had to worry about on social networking sites is that your boss may read your Tweet that you’re at the beach when you called in sick for the day. These days, you also have to be concerned about divorce lawyers scanning your Facebook or Twitter page for anything they can use against you.
According to a USA Today article, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers said that over the last five years 81% of its members have used or face evidence from various social networking sites (Facebook, Twitter, MySpace) and even YouTube and Linkedln. Facebook has been the largest supplier of damning online evidence with 66% of AAML members swearing by it, followed by MySpace at 15%, and Twitter at 5%.
It’s not just incriminating photos of say, dad putting up photos of him and his mistress but forgetting to de-friend his soon-to-be ex-wife. USA Today listed examples of some major online faux pas.
- Husband goes on Match.com and declares his single, childless status while seeking primary custody of said nonexistent children.
- Father seeks custody of the kids, claiming (among other things) that his ex-wife never attends the events of their young ones. Subpoenaed evidence from the gaming site World of Warcraft tracks her there with her boyfriend at the precise time she was supposed to be out with the children. Mom loves Facebook’s Farmville, too, at all the wrong times.
- Mom denies in court that she smokes marijuana but posts partying, pot-smoking photos of herself on Facebook.
Moral lesson of the day, kids: be careful in what you say and what you do online, because a lawyer or judge may be lurking. And learn how to use those privacy settings.
I must add here these days, you also have to be concerned about <a href="Causes" rel="nofollow">http://causesof-divorce.com/">Causes Of Divorce lawyers scanning your Facebook or Twitter page for anything they can use against you.