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Social media increasingly contributes to divorce

On Behalf of | Mar 4, 2012 | High-Asset Divorce

Finding friends and relatives that you haven’t been in touch with in recent years is one of the benefits of social media. As some Ohio residents may have experienced, people from high school or college can re-enter your life after you become “friends” on a website like Facebook. Some people, reports suggest, are finding that the online friend may be more appealing than their current life. In some instances, this can lead to divorce.

The rules of divorce are changing as we become more adept at using social media. Sites such as Facebook and Twitter as well as text messaging are all among the new ways that people are communicating, sometimes with old romantic flames, according to a recent report. Increasingly, divorcing spouses report that social media played a role in the demise of their marriage.

An unnamed divorcee recently suggested that Facebook contributed to the end of his marriage. The man told reporters that he noticed that his wife was spending more and more time on the computer. After a time, he found out through acquaintances that his wife was having an affair with her Facebook friend. The marriage ended up on the rocks, and the couple is now divorced.

In many instances, social media posts, tweets and texts can be admissible evidence in court during a divorce proceeding. In fact, one organization announced that a 2010 survey revealed that 80 percent of divorce lawyers acknowledged that Facebook had played a role in their cases.

Divorce is difficult enough in its own right. Spouses who are contemplating a marriage dissolution would do well make themselves aware of the laws and procedures in Ohio in order to protect themselves and proceed in a manner aimed at achieving an equitable resolution of all matrimonial issues.

Source: WFAA.com, “‘Happily ever after’ less likely for married couples using Facebook,” Katherine Whaley, Feb. 17, 2012

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