Online Data and Divorce – What You Say Really Does Matter

It has become common that anything you say online, stays there indefinitely. Even if you delete it, someone out there could still find it, if they look hard enough. This needs to be carried over when it comes to legal matters as well. If you are going through a divorce and you have been talking about your soon-to-be-ex online, make sure to take note that anything you say, can still be used in court.

Social Media Isn’t a Free-Range Forget-Me-Not

Talking on social media is common. Nearly everyone in the U.S. does it at some point in time or another. Some do it far more than others. What you say may mean nothing to you at the time, but if taken out of context or read later, those same comments can mean something different. This is the problem.

Speaking openly online about your soon-to-be-ex can work in your favor if you are always showing that you are trying to work things out amicably and being polite. However, if you are yelling, cursing, or being negative about your ex, even to others, this can come back to bite you.

Recently, this played out in the public eye with the investigation into former congressman Anthony Weiner. He was investigated after a sexting scandal came to light, as was his wife at the time. Everything about both of their lives was sifted through by federal investigators, and everything they did and said online was included in that investigation.

Your Online Data Needs to Remain In Your Focus

Just remember, when you are going through a divorce, if your ex wants to find something detrimental about you, they will use regular avenues to do so. If they know your passwords, change them. If they do something you do not like, speak on the phone or in person about them to someone you can vent to instead of venting your thoughts online for anyone to read.

Your spouse is going to be able to fill in the blanks to get into your digital life if they really want to. After all, they likely know the street you grew up on or your mother’s maiden name, so they can hit “forgot password” just like you could. Keep your digital information to a minimum, and protect it from outsiders when you do use online formats. It could all come back to represent you when in front of the divorce judge.