5 Tips for Social Media Use During Child Custody Disputes

Fighting an ex over custody of your children can be an uphill battle, and dragging it out into social media can turn molehills into mountains. From criminal trials to divorce proceedings, our social media presence can be dragged into court, and that's the last thing you want jeopardizing your custody case.

So here are 5 ways to stay out of trouble on social media when determining child custody issues:

1. Keep It Civil. As tempting as it may be, don't rip your ex on Facebook, and keep the Twitter rants to a minimum. Aside from making the custody hearings nastier than they already are, you could be opening yourself up for a defamation lawsuit. Just take a deep breath, log off, and let your attorney make the arguments to the judge, rather than making them yourself on the Internet.
2. Keep It Separate. If you don't already have a social media prenup, perhaps it's time to put something in place with your ex, designating who can use which accounts and who has access to which media and photos. And if you and your ex share a lot of common friends or followers, be aware that everything you post may get back to the other side. As much as you can, build a social media wall between you and your ex.
3. Keep It Low-Key. It's impossible to know which tweets, comments, or status updates could get you in trouble, so think twice about your posts, especially checking in at bars. If you have to let off some steam, get your party on offline.
4. Keep It a Secret. Maybe you have a habit of posting your location, or it's a default setting when you tweet, post a photo, or update your status. But that could be a problem if you're involved in a particularly contentious custody battle, or your ex has used or threatened to use violence in the past. Be careful about posting your whereabouts on social media.
5. Keep It Closed. You can't screw up on social media if you don't have a social media presence. The only perfect way to protect yourself is by shuttering your social media accounts. Cutting the social media cord may seem drastic now, but if it helps your custody case, it will be well worth it.

Social media may have led to your divorce, but don't let it jeopardize custody of your children. If you need help with a custody issue, contact an experienced child custody attorney near you.

Related Resources:

• Browse Child Custody Lawyers by Location (FindLaw Directory)
• 5 Things a Child Custody Lawyer Can Do (That You Probably Can't) (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
• Legal How-To: Getting Sole Custody of Your Kids (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)
• Judge Orders Couple to Exchange Facebook Passwords (FindLaw's Law and Daily Life)