Technology has presented great opportunities for people in their love lives. Dating sites present an expansive and safe forum for people to meet, while email, text messages, Skype and other high-tech forms of communication allow couples to interact across hundreds or thousands of miles. Social Media sites like Facebook have allowed friends and family to connect and reconnect with minimal effort.
Unfortunately, technology also frequently plays a key role in separation, divorce and other related issues. Just like any form of communication, technology and the internet have potential for spousal misuse. In one instance of inappropriate online behavior, a woman first learned that her husband was divorcing her via a Facebook post – along with hundreds of other people.
Some folks want to condemn Facebook and social media for their role in marital infidelity and divorces; however, the fault for such bad behavior ultimately lies with the wrongdoing spouse, not technology. Yet, it cannot be denied that divorce and technology are often intertwined. That link will continue, and likely increase, over time.
Technology Used as Evidence in Divorce Cases
Many newspapers, marital counselors and divorce attorneys state (and sometimes overstate) the role that Facebook plays in divorce. Putting aside all statistics, it is true that most divorces will have some form of technology-driven evidence presented by one of the parties, whether it is a text message, email or Facebook “wall” post.
Not all of this evidence comes from a “gotcha” moment where a separating spouse spies an incriminating post or picture on the internet. Valuable evidence also commonly comes in the form of a voicemail or text message, perhaps where one spouse violently threatens the other or their children.
If you are involved in a divorce , child custody, child support or alimony dispute, be sure to preserve any evidence you encounter. Take a screenshot or download the incriminating info, because your spouse or ex-spouse can take the information down just as fast as he or she put it up. Also, be sure to contact a family law attorney who is experienced in leveraging technology and online evidence to achieve the best possible outcome for the client.
