Tweeting nightmare!

Social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are great for the purpose of keeping in touch with old friends, colleagues and classmates. They also allow us to express our thoughts and opinions in public cyber-space. Facebook permits us to delve into the social lives of our virtual “friends”; We can view their, sometimes graphic, conversations publicly and flick through their family photographs at the click of a mouse. Twitter is a virtual platform for users to engage with sports personalities and celebrities alike by sharing their views and opinions in the form of “tweeting”. There has been a significant rise in the number of online blogs which allow authors to comment on pretty much anything whilst maintaining a degree of anonymity.

However, according to Divorce-Online, Facebook was cited as a reason for a third of divorces last year. What may be a little bit of “innocent” Facebook flirting with a colleague at work can lead to serious arguments in the home. The discovery of a picture where your spouse looks altogether a little too cosy with an ex-partner can cause ruptures in a relationship. No one wants to find out that their husband or wife is cheating, however it seems that more and more affairs are discovered through Facebook and Twitter. In addition, when spouses are going through a divorce, social media websites allow private marital problems to be aired in a very public arena.

Our advice as experienced Family Law Solicitors is to be careful what you Tweet. If you are having marital problems, it is advisable not use Facebook or Twitter as a platform on which to air your views and frustrations. This will only serve to aggravate the situation. In England, unlike America, we do not have a no-fault divorce. Humiliating and hurtful comments made on social media websites can be used against a spouse in a divorce petition as the grounds of unreasonable behaviour. Furthermore, when children are involved, derogatory comments about the other parent can be very damaging to children if discovered. When spouses are going through a divorce and negotiating a financial settlement, comments such as these will intensify emotions and consequently prevent agreement. This will only serve to increase costs and frustrate both parties to the divorce.

If you would like expert advice in relation to a divorce or any other family law matter please contact Colin Davies, Senior Family Partner, on 0844 984 6138.