If used carefully, Facebook, Instagram, or any form of social media is a great platform to share updates, news, photos, and videos with your family, friends, colleagues, etc. Lawyers are increasingly using social media to dig up information and collect evidence to use in court. Information from social media may be used for or against you, depending on the type of content you and the defendant put there.
Family law cases can be personal. It would help you the best if you found a good lawyer to protect your rights. If you’re questioning yourself, “Where can I find a lawyer who can handle my family law issues?” you can contact The Law Office of Amanda J. Cook.
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How does social media affect different family law cases?
Custody
If you’re a divorced parent involved in your child’s custody case, it is crucial to maintain a good profile offline and online. Raising a child is seen as a big responsibility and is only given to people who seem capable of handling a child.
Suppose your social media is filled with posts of you and your current partner or your friends partying all night, drinking alcohol, and taking other types of drugs. In that case, it proves that you’re unfit to raise a child on your own, and you prioritize your social life more than spending time with your kids.
Alimony and child support
In divorces, husbands are usually required to send a certain amount to their ex-wives as financial support for their kids and themselves. This is called alimony and child support. The paying spouse is required to pay 40% of their net income as alimony. And child support is decided separately.
Your social media posts are used as evidence against you in court which influences the amount you need to pay to your ex. Further, you won’t be allowed to claim that you aren’t able to afford alimony.
How to make use of social media in your favor
Anything found on social media from the official account of your ex is considered as written evidence. This evidence can help make your case more substantial, and you may have a higher chance of winning. If you have access to your ex’s social media, make sure you collect all the evidence that might be beneficial for you in court.
Hiring a lawyer and consulting them will help you collect the correct type of evidence. A lawyer can also help you be careful about what you post on social media and prevent your case from weakening.
