Family Law and Divorce in the Age of Technology

Time magazine recently printed an article entitled “Facebook and Divorce: Airing the Dirty Laundry.” The article raises some interesting questions regarding family law in the age of email, Facebook, and Twitter. As we all know, people often use online networking sites such as Facebook as a place to post photos and generally keep friends and family up to date about what is happening in their daily lives. However, it seems that some people are using these online social networking outlets as a means for venting the frustrations and hurt feelings that inevitably accompany a separation. Moreover, some people are also carelessly posting personal information about their new relationships or date-stamped photos depicting themselves in a less-than-perfect light.

It is imperative to remember that this public airing of your personal life can sometimes be used as evidence in divorce cases. In fact, 88% of divorce attorneys polled in a recent survey say they have seen an increase in electronic data used as evidence in recent years.