With the increased use of Facebook for social reasons, some people have blamed Facebook for being the cause of the break-up of many marriages in Texas. In fact, according to a recent article, the word Facebook has occurred in approximately one third of divorce cases. Divorce attorneys have also attested to divorcing parties increasingly pointing to Facebook or similar social networking websites as partly to blame for the break-up of marriages.
So how can a website be the cause of a divorce? It appears that many people feel a false sense of privacy, and as a result, are willing to make statements about their personal situations, whether it is about a relationship with another person, their whereabouts or information concerning their financial status.
If the Facebook account is public, or even if it is not, it is possible that user’s information can be up for grabs. As we have discussed in previous posts, potentially incriminating information that has been made public on social networking websites or even through text messages on cellphones, can be used against spouses in a divorce action. In fact, in one case a couple was ordered to reveal their corresponding passwords for their Facebook accounts during a divorce proceeding.
As a result, anyone who is considering divorce, is in the midst of a divorce or has just finalized their divorce should consider putting as little information on Facebook as possible in order to avoid such information being used against them in a divorce proceeding, or in any proceeding involving child custody, child support or alimony.
Source: SmartMoney.com, “Does Facebook Wreck Marriages? Quentin Fottrell, May 21, 2012
