Social Media Use During Divorce & Child Custody Disputes
By Jake Hornstein & Greg Hill, Our Children Have Rights (OCHR)
For parents navigating divorce & child custody, posting on social media can significantly impact the outcome in court. Properly navigating the social media landscape is critical to avoiding unnecessary pitfalls, which can have devastating effects on the children. Before clicking “post”, consider these consequences.
Evidence in court: Posting seemingly harmless comments, vacation photos, a night out with friends etc. can be used as evidence in court. Posts can portray your finances, judgement and parenting skills. All of which are factors that can influence court outcomes. It’s a common tactic for resentful co-parents and their attorneys to use social media posts against one another in court.
Fueling the flames: Social media can inflame tensions between co-parents and the children. Public mudslinging creates negativity and derails communication, which is highly frowned upon by judges. Judges favor parents focused on co-parenting and the best interests of the children, not drama.
Privacy: Social posts can expose private details that can be used against you. Even in private groups, your posts can still be shared for public exposure.
Becoming totally inactive on social media may seem extreme (and to some, impossible). You can still maintain a social media presence without creating major issues. Consider these tips:
Privacy settings: Review your privacy settings on each of your profiles. You may want to tighten them up by limiting who can view your posts & profile. Be mindful of friends & family, especially the kids!
Think twice: Ask yourself… Is this appropriate? Bad-mannered? Likely to be misconstrued? Can this suggest I’m not focused on co-parenting & the best interests of our kids?
Post Positive: Focus on positive updates. Posts are used as evidence in court to form opinions about you, your judgement, state of mind and standard of living. Again, these are factors that influence outcomes in court. Regrettable posts can have devastating consequences. Even the most well-intended parents make these mistakes. Be mindful & cautious! And always think of your children when posting.
OCHR is a Pinellas based 501c3 nonprofit that serves children by helping parents more seamlessly navigate their child custody & co-parenting journeys, at no cost to the family.
Support of our mission is vital. And we kindly ask you to consider a small financial contribution. Your support is needed for us to serve children by helping parents achieve successful co-parenting outcomes, which impacts our entire community.
Most importantly, if you, or someone you know, needs our assistance, we’re here for you. We’re on a mission… A mission to protect the rights of children to have access to both responsible parents by providing education, resources, and support services for successful co-parenting. Why? Because Our Children Have Rights.
Contact Jake at JakeHornstein@OurChildrenHaveRights.com or www.OCHR.Org To donate: www.ourchildrenhaverights.org/donate.