There are quite a few things a person can be concerned about when they are in a divorce. Three such things are:
- Their reputation.
- Their privacy and their children’s privacy.
- Who will receive what in the divorce.
These three things have been sources of concern in divorces for quite a long time. In today’s world though, there are some new elements to these concerns. Specifically, social media can raise some new issues regarding these three things.
In the realm of reputation, a person may be concerned that, during their divorce, their estranged spouse may take things out on them in social media by posting derogatory and inflammatory comments about them.
In regards to privacy, a person may be worried that, during their divorce, their estranged spouse will post pictures or comments that reveal too many private details about them or their kids.
When it comes to ownership concerns, a divorcing person could have quite a bit of emotional attachment to social media accounts they and their spouse held during the marriage and the content on such accounts, so they may care quite a bit about who ends up in charge of such accounts and content now that the marriage is ending.
It is important to note that, during a divorce, there are things a person may be able to do to address these sorts of concerns. For example, agreements may be able to be reached or orders may be able to be requested regarding how social media accounts and the content of such accounts will be assigned in the divorce and regarding whether any restrictions will be placed on social media activity during the divorce.
Attorneys can help individuals who are divorcing their spouse try to find effective ways to address the various concerns they have related to their divorce, including social media concerns.
Source: Huffington Post, “Why You Need a Social Media Clause in Your Divorce,” Brette Sember, Feb. 26, 2015