Social media is a modern day miracle. Now, anyone with an internet connection and smartphone can stay in contact with friends and family anywhere and in any country. As of 2015, 1.49 Billion people were on Facebook each month and 300 Million were on Instagram. There are also negative effects of these new tools that can harm your family law, divorce or other litigation case.

How does this affect my divorce or custody case?

Posts can harm your case depending on their nature. You can certainly bet that your soon to be ex or his/her attorney has looked you up on one or all of the social medial platforms looking for evidence that can be used to their advantage and your disadvantage.

Social Media and other electronic discovery can and will be allowed into evidence under certain conditions. That means that those words or pictures you post online may be sought by opposing counsel in your case.

How to not get discovered or not diminish your case:

• Check the privacy setting on your profile and adjust them to prevent unwanted viewer from seeking it;
• Do not post anything to your profile that discusses your lawsuit and related content;
• May sure your profile does not include photos posted by you or your friends that show you in a negative or compromising situation (drinking, dangerous activities, etc.)
• Do not accept "friend" requests from people you do not know. It may be someone working for the opposing side attempting to get incriminating evidence that harm your case; and
• Check your "friend" list. If you don't know someone on the list, remove them from it.