What NOT to Say About Divorce on Social Media

Getting a divorce is emotional and can make you feel very alone. You may be tempted to turn to social media to get support for the end of your marriage, but this could actually have very negative consequences for your case. What you say or pictures you post on social media have the power to strip you of things like child custody, alimony, and more. 

Here’s what you should know about discussing the dissolution of your marriage on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok and where to get legal help quickly. 

Do You Need to Make a Divorce Announcement on Social Media? 

You certainly aren’t required to make an announcement about your divorce on your social media page. It’s a private matter for which you don’t owe anyone an explanation. For many divorcing people, simply changing their marital status to “single” or “it’s complicated” is enough to signal that there’s trouble in paradise, so to speak. There’s really no need to go further than that unless you want to, but if you do, be prepared for the consequences.

How Posting on Social Media Can Hurt Your Divorce 

If you do feel obligated to make a post or simply want to address the matter head-on to avoid questions, keep it succinct, straightforward, and without blame. Posting on your social platforms about how frustrated you are about property division negotiations or that your ex was late picking up your child for their scheduled visitation can be used against you in family court.

Your ex’s legal team is likely to be monitoring your accounts, and even if your profile is set to private, some Long Island family law attorneys aren’t above creating fake profiles and attempting to develop an online friendship. They often do this in the hopes of being able to collect instances of slander against their client or images of you with another partner that would help sway a judge away from awarding alimony or spousal support.

If you have children, your ex and/or their legal team may be looking for information that can be used to suggest you’re an unfit parent. For example, if you went out for a party and posted pictures of yourself intoxicated or holding an alcoholic beverage, you can be relatively confident that the other side will try to use this against you. Even if you had a designated driver and your child was safely in the care of a babysitter, your ex may use things like this to paint a negative picture of you as a parent.

How to Respond to Friends and Family Online 

If you change your relationship status on your social media profiles, you’re bound to get some questions from well-meaning friends and extended family, such as “what’s going on?” or “what happened?”

Don’t feel obligated to answer these questions, especially publicly on your page. If you do want to have a conversation with a trusted friend or family member about your divorce, be sure to do it in private and verbally — never in writing. Even someone who you believed was a friend may side with your ex and be looking to obtain information that they can use against you to get a better outcome for your ex in court. Better yet, see a divorce counselor for support.

Get Help With Your Long Island Divorce from an Experienced New York Divorce Attorney Now 

At Hornberger Verbitsky, P.C., we understand the complexities of divorce and how to help families like yours navigate through them. Our team is highly experienced in helping keep Long Island divorces as short, amicable, and affordable as possible. We have a plethora of tips that can help you set yourself up for success, regardless of the actual facts of your case; staying silent on social media during your divorce is just one of them.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you plan for the different stages of your divorce, from serving your spouse with divorce papers to divorce mediation and finally litigation if you and your ex aren’t able to reach an agreement on one or more factors related to your divorce. Our seasoned team of divorce attorneys will provide you with the caring, compassionate, and zealous legal support you need during this challenging time.

Call now for a consultation to discuss the details of your case and what your next step should be at 631-923-1910 or fill out the short form below. We are available now to take your call.