Social networking websites, most notably Facebook, are great for reconnecting with old friends and classmates; but there also are potential risks. It seems that divorce and Facebook are getting used in the same sentence more often. Chicago family law attorneys usually stick to matters of law, but several of them cited in an ABC News article are now advising their clients on the finer points of social networking etiquette.
Anita Ventrelli, a divorce attorney in Chicago, said such networks have created "a whole new area" for people to say too much and get into trouble:
"I would tell you to be circumspect and that even things said jokingly can be printed out and spun with a sinister context."
As Facebook, MySpace and similar networks grow in popularity, divorce attorneys in Chicago are warning married couples that they can create unintended conflicts that often lead to divorce. It's hardly a new revelation and this blog has written about it before, but the ABC article provides several examples of what can go wrong.
One woman who asked to be identified only as "Kate" said she encouraged her husband of 26 years to sign up for a Facebook account. But he then hooked up with his high school sweetheart through the social network, which Kate learned about through viewing online exchanges between the two.
Now the couple is getting divorced. Kate said they were happily married before they discovered Facebook, although it's hard to say whether or not her husband would have strayed through other means:
"I'm trying to sell our home. It's devastating. I cry. I pack up the boxes and I cry. And to think, all over Facebook."
And quite often, messages and photos posted on social network accounts are being used as evidence in divorce trials. That's why attorneys tell current and prospective clients to be mindful of how they use their accounts.
Individuals who are concerned about information gleaned from a partner's Facebook or curious about how such data may impact a divorce case should contact an Illinois family law attorney for more information.
Related Resources:
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Search Divorce Attorneys in Chicago (FindLaw)
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Tweeting or Facebooking Divorce: Beware the Private Info You Broadcast (FindLaw's Law & Daily Life Blog)
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