Does Facebook fuel divorce?
Around 14 million Britons are thought to regularly use social networking sites and Facebook is now said to have 1 Billion users. Therefore it is hardly surprising that the site is being blamed for a rising number of marital breakdowns
One Solicitors firm has recently claimed that one in five petitions have cited Facebook using evidence from inappropriate messages, posts and photos gained from the social media site. Whilst we have not seen such a high proportion in our experience, citing Facebook in divorce Petitions is certainly becoming increasingly common.
Not only are the posts from social media sites being used to show evidence of unreasonable behaviour and adultery but they are also being used in relation to child contact and residence and financial applications upon divorce. We were recently involved in a case where Facebook was successfully used to persuade a Judge that one spouse in the case was cohabiting with a new partner and had possible plans to remarry, in spite of claims that they were not involved in a new relationship at all. This seriously impacted on their claims and also led to an Order being made for them to pay a large amount towards our client’s legal costs.
What many people seem to forget is that posting messages and photographs on Facebook often still comes to the attention of their former partner one way or the other and can potentially be used against them in later Court proceedings.
Social Media users should be aware of the possible consequences of posting personal information on social media sites and that it may be used against them in family proceedings. Information posted is there forever and can still often be traced despite deletion.
Partner
Family Law
PLancaster@LawBlacks.com
0113 227 9285
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Paul Lancaster
