Divorce With Respect

When the digital world creates divorce dilemmas

On Behalf of | Apr 7, 2017 | Divorce, English, Firm News | 0 comments

You likely grew up with at least one popular court drama on TV. It might have been L.A. Law, The Good Wife, or you may have seen Law & Order in one of its various installments. These staples of entertainment TV likely helped form your idea about the courts. But have you ever seen these court dramas examine evidence from Facebook?

If you are a fan of a current court drama, maybe you have. That is because more and more, social media as well as other forms of electronic communication are becoming legally relevant. If you are going through a divorce or other family law matter, you should consider how digital media might alter aspects of your specific family law or divorce case.

For example, let’s examine how social media could affect your doubts about child support. If you have children and you and the other parent have split apart, then child support is a pressing matter for you. The financial security of your kids is important to their well-being and your sanity so it’s important to know how much money is owed in child support per month.

If your ex claims that he or she can only afford so much in child support and that amount sounds off base, don’t ignore that nagging suspicion. If the other parent is an avid social media poster, take to those sites and do some investigating. Do you see that your ex shops, travels, eats out and basically spends a lot and often? Document any social media posts (don’t forget emails and text messages) supporting the theory that your ex is misrepresenting the reality of income that should be considered in determining child support payments.

Lying about financial information during a family law process in California is not only unethical but it is against the law. Maybe you are someone who is the target of child support or spousal support requests. Honesty is important to the legal process and to serving the best interests of kids who are involved. Be warned that social media, texts and emails can catch you in a potential lie and put you out of favor with the court during your divorce or other family law process.

No matter what, it is best to work with a family law attorney whom you trust and who instills confidence that they understand your legal goals and will vigorously try to protect your rights according to the laws of California.

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