Beware of Facebook Posts — A Massachusetts Lawyer Can Advise
If you are even thinking about divorce, it is very important to be mindful of what you write and say on e-mail, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn and other social networking sites. Even an old-fashioned telephone call can be used against you. YouTube videos remain on the site unless you deliberately remove them. In short, the dangers of almost all types of communication and networking are very real because technology preserves your thoughts and words for posterity — and for your soon-to-be-ex-spouse to read and use against you.
Watch Out! Any Type of Electronic Communication May Hurt You
At Massachusetts Family Law Group, we advise clients about common traps to avoid when they are tempted to write something angry or threatening or leave a harassing voice mail message. We encourage clients to remember that:
- Any communication you send to your spouse is fair game if your husband or wife wishes to use it against you. Our lawyers consider every e-mail or voicemail left by a vengeful spouse to be a gift.
- The send button is not your friend. E-mail is not the same as in-person conversation. It leaves a trail that can be printed out and stored forever.
- Dating websites can be especially dangerous. Their records can be subpoenaed and your activities tracked.
- Your whereabouts can be determined. Our lawyers have obtained Fast Lane and E-Z Pass information that can document when and where you passed through a toll. Your Charlie Card for the MBTA can reveal similar information.
- Your web surfing can be tracked, and it's very difficult to totally erase your hard drive.
- Text messages are easy to recover.
Our Massachusetts lawyers consult with forensic computer specialists who investigate electronic communications and Facebook updates using digital forensic tools. Our statewide brain trust has become extremely familiar with assembling electronic evidence that can reveal a cheating spouse or financial transactions designed to hide assets.
Not Getting Results From Your Current Attorney?
If your case is not going the way that you want, consider hiring Massachusetts Family Law Group. Our attorneys appear in the Probate and Family Courts in Norfolk, Middlesex, Suffolk and Essex counties almost every day. We are able to anticipate how a particular court might respond to evidence from recovered emails, text messages, blog posts and dating site activity reports. This gives our clients a huge advantage, an advantage we refer to as the "home court advantage."
For more information about social media during divorce, call our Boston-area lawyers at (800) 763-1030. Or, send an e-mail to schedule a free initial consultation.
