Could Facebook Jeopardize Your Marriage or Divorce?

By Nottage and Ward on February 11, 2011

It would seem as though we have reached the point of no return when it comes to the prevalent use of and reliance on social media sites like Facebook. But can these sites potentially jeopardize your marriage or even the outcome of your divorce? According to a recent Huffington Post article, the answer is yes.

According to Divorce Online’s Managing Director, 20 percent of all the petitions his company filed over the last several years had references to Facebook activity as the reason for why a married couple decided to split. It is suspected that the element of anonymity on these types of websites cause users to be bolder and say or do things they may not typically do if they were offline.

The article also discusses the results of a recent survey conducted by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers (AAML). These attorneys note that in the past five years, 81 percent have witnessed a rise in the use of comments a spouse has made on social networking sites as evidence in divorce cases. Out of these instances, 66 percent cite Facebook as the source of the material, followed by MySpace at 15 percent, Twitter at 5 percent, and all other social media sites combined at 14 percent.

Activity on Facebook and other social networking sites may not only cause a divorce, they may also influence the outcome of divorce proceedings. Such activity may provide the basis for a divorce on the basis of adultery or may impact custody and visitation decisions.

The Chicago divorce attorneys at Nottage and Ward have 20 years of divorce and family law experience, lending our firm the skills and knowledge to effectively negotiate, litigate, and resolve intricate issues while considering your unique needs. To find out more about how we can help you during this challenging time, please contact us today by calling 312-332-2915.