For many, social media and texting is a daily aspect of life. We often find ourselves mindlessly scrolling or scrambling to reply to our text messages as quickly as possible. During a divorce, you might feel extremely lonely, so you might be more inclined to post your feelings on social media or communicate your feelings to your friends and family via text messaging or direct messaging. However, you should be careful about anything you post on the internet or text during this time, as anything you say has the potential to complicate the legal aspects of your divorce.
Anything Can be Used Against You In Court
Social media is often used to share fun or interesting moments in life. This may include things such as beach trips, parties, graduations or even visits to fancy restaurants. However, if your whole social media feed consists of you going out at any given moment, the court might question your morals if you have any kids that rely on your support. If you are fighting for full or even partial custody of your kids, then it might be difficult to convince the court that you are a good parent based on what your social media profile shows. Also, your text messages, direct messages and even emails might be examined in court to determine what the truth of the whole situation is. Whenever texting your friends or family about the divorce, be extremely careful about what you say. Be sure to avoid bad-mouthing anyone involved, and make sure not to exaggerate the situation by using lies. Avoid being overly sarcastic. Sarcasm is never received well in court, so anything you say will be taken extremely literally.
Tips for Texting and Social Media Usage During Divorce
There are several things you can do to minimize the impact of your text messages and social media posts during your divorce. First, you should avoid sending your ex-partner any offensive emojis. Whenever you talk to anyone about this divorce, you should have a calm attitude and avoid getting overly emotional. Getting overly emotional could cause you to say things that you do not truly mean. Additionally, avoid getting into any arguments. These only cause more harm and never work to resolve the issue at hand. Finally, you should avoid giving your ex-partner advice about the situation, and you should avoid giving them instructions and telling them what to do. This can make you appear to be controlling in the eyes of the court. You should also avoid any forms of gossip and only engage in healthy conversations.
Take Time for Yourself
In general, social media can be a stressful thing. You might find yourself comparing yourself to others you see on the app. This will only make you feel worse, and you might find yourself feeling particularly vulnerable during emotional times such as holidays like Valentine’s Day and ex-anniversary dates. During times like this, stay off of social media and take time for yourself. Focus on your needs and do things that make you happy. Your mental health will thank you for it.
While divorce might bring up emotional feelings that you wish to discuss with others, be careful just how much you share online. Doing so could make you appear in a negative light in court and can complicate the proceedings. Remember that anything can be used against you in court, and bad-mouthing your ex-partner can complicate the issues at hand.
If you are going through a divorce, contact the Holman Law Firm and schedule a free initial consultation. We serve clients throughout the Northwest Florida Panhandle and can handle all aspects in divorce.
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