Virtually nobody looks forward to a divorce. After all, divorces can be stressful, hurtful and downright exhausting. If you and your spouse have committed to a collaborative divorce, you can likely avoid many of the negative emotions that come with dissolving a marriage. Still, if you use social media the wrong way, you could be asking for trouble.
Social media platforms offer an easy way both to document your life and connect with friends. Under normal circumstances, your social media posts are probably harmless. They may even help you improve your personal and professional reputation. During a divorce, though, you must think twice about how you use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media outlets. If you do any of the following, you may destroy your collaborative divorce.
1. You badmouth your soon-to-be ex
Even with friendly divorces, spouses generally do not agree on everything. If you use your social media accounts to rant about your soon-to-be ex, you may foster resentment. Rather than taking to social media to vent your feelings, talk to a trusted friend or counselor in private.
2. You show off your new love interest
You and your partner may have decided not to remain together. Still, your spouse may not like the thought of you pursuing a new relationship. Rather than friending your new love interest or posting photos of the two of you together, it is usually best to stay quiet until your divorce is over.
3. You expose a lavish lifestyle
While you may not mind dividing marital property with your spouse, you do not want to pay more than your fair share in spousal support. That said, if your partner sees you taking expensive trips, paying for decadent dinners or otherwise flexing your financial muscles, you may have difficulty reaching a fair agreement.
Mediation, arbitration and other collaborative approaches to divorce have many advantages. If you can convince your spouse to go through a friendly divorce, you are likely doing things right. Still, seemingly innocuous social media posts can derail your collaborative divorce. With a bit of care, you can keep your social media use from destroying the process.