Facebook Woes…
Just about everybody has, or knows someone who has, a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Myspace account. The social networking today provides convenient access to friends and family, easy communication and quick ways to share your life stories to groups of people, all at once. My first suggestions, if you are going through a divorce, separation, or child custody battle – terminate your account, suspend it, trash it, delete it, sterilize it, erase it, and make it non-existent.
For those of you who ignore good advice, and choose to maintain your Twitter or Myspace account, I suggest the following: set all of your settings to private and limit your activity. As a family law attorney and licensed private investigator, one of the first things I do, during a child custody case, is look for the other parent’s Facebook page. People post the worst things, for the entire world to see, on these social network sites, without any boundaries or security features.
Delete all of your “crazy weekend getaway” photographs, and double check all of your comments and captions. Additionally, check for photographs where friends have tagged you; those are posted without your input and can show up at the worst times. Browse your friends’ pages and see what photographs they have posted of you, and what comments they have made. Just because you deleted all of the photographs from Las Vegas, does not mean your buddy’s page is free from incriminating evidence.
Facebook is not the place to brag about your latest purchase, describe your lavish vacation, or how you are winning the “competition” with the other parent. All of these posts will magically appear at your next court hearing. Do not use these sites for your trash talk, or to discuss court issues, or to bad mouth your co-parent. Keep in mind what you are posting, and whether or not your children are your “friends.” Your children will see everything you post, and a negative comment about your child’s parent is not acceptable.
If you are “friends” with your children on a social media network site, remember that everything you say and do, through posts and photographs, are being done as if your children are with you. If you are not willing to delete that account today, keep your information age appropriate for the children you have.
If you need help in a divorce or have issues regarding a child custody case, if you need to modify a child visitation order, the Law Office of Heath L. Baker will help you. Please contact us at (951) 222-2228, or at our website: www.heathbakerlaw.com. We would love to talk to you in person and discuss the family law or divorce issues that are important to you.