Technology is slowly changing every aspect of our lives, including the divorce process. Social media and new apps are taking privacy to new extremes. On one hand a vengeful Tweet can make very intimate details very public and on the other hand new apps are being developed to hide phone records and text messages from prying eyes. Some people claim that new technology is leading to couples divorcing, as suspicion and misuse of technology lead to partners falling out and breaking up.
Any divorce lawyer will recommend that you stay well away from social media during the process. You may want to vent anger and frustrations and seek revenge on your spouse, but social media is not the place to do it. Similarly it is best to avoid your spouse’s social media accounts and the social media accounts of any mutual friends. This can evoke jealousy and suspicion. Social media accounts only portray a very small snippet of what is going on in someone’s life, and also give a very warped perspective.
Facebook is cited as a reason for a divorce in 1 in 5 divorce cases in Britain. Social networking sites make it easier for people to communicate, and therefore to begin affairs. But social media sites can also make it easier for partners to find proof of infidelities which can be used as evidence in a divorce.
There is a boom in apps around the divorce industry. There are apps developed that hide phone records so partners can not see who you have been calling, or certain text messages that are sold as ‘marriage savers’ so a partner can not read messages or see phone calls from any other partners.
On the flip side there are also apps for suspicious partners to spy on the movements of their other half. Divorce lawyers will always advise against this as the laws surrounding spying are complex and very little of such evidence will be of any use in court. In fact, there is a risk that you could end up in a much worse situation if you try to prove of your partner’s infidelities in this way.
There are apps that claim to help couples split their assets equally and apps to keep track of what is happening during the divorce proceedings. Any such app should be used with great caution, as each individual divorce case is different and can not possibly be determined by a one-size-fits-all app.
When you enter into divorce proceedings it is vital that you remain wary of new technology and to not publicly publish anything that could cause you hurt in the future. Until we all have a better understanding of how technology is affecting our lives, the best thing to do is to pick up the phone to talk to friends and let off steam and let divorce lawyers assist you during the process.