How your Social Media Practices Can Damage your Child Custody Case

 Posted on December 00, 0000 in Child Custody

On May 3, 2017, YouTube stars Michael and Heather Martin lost custody of their two children as a result of a video they posted on YouTube. In the video, Michael and Heather Martin spilled invisible ink on the carpet in one of the children’s rooms. They then blamed their children for ruining the carpet, and the children cried as their parents yelled and cursed at them. Finally, Heather and Michael Martin laughed and told their children it was a prank. As seen in the video, the children were not amused.

The video of the prank went viral and prompted the creation of an online petition calling on Child Protective Services (C.P.S.) to remove the children from Michael and Heather Martin’s home. C.P.S. took the children in and Rose Hall, the children’s biological mother, was granted emergency custody.

This situation highlights the impact social media can have in situations like child custody. Your use of social media should be even more stringent if you are going through a child custody battle. Electronic evidence in the form of social media posts and pictures can be used in court if the evidence meets a certain criterion.

How to Use Social Media Properly During a Child Custody Case

When it comes to best social media practices, there are a few steps you can take to avoid hurting your chances of winning a child custody case:

1. Show your best self on social media. Ranting about your former spouse on Facebook or posting a picture of yourself intoxicated on Instagram will not make you look good in front a judge. Make sure your social media profiles portray you as a responsible parent.

2. Avoid negativity. Do not post deprecating comments about your ex, your former spouse’s attorneys, or the judge on social media. Your ex-spouse’s lawyers can use your comments to portray you in a negative light in court.

3. Do a social media cleanse. Even if your social media accounts are set to private, attorneys are skilled in navigating legal ways to obtain your social media account information. You may be required to provide your profile information if your former partner's attorneys file a discovery request against you.

Go through your social media networks and delete negative posts about your spouse and his or her lawyers. In addition, remove any pictures or statuses that could suggest you are irresponsible or exercise poor judgment. Delete statuses, tweets, and videos in which you complain or vent about your children—lightheartedly or otherwise.

Contact an Accomplished Child Custody and Family Attorney in Kendall County

It can be difficult to manage your online reputation during a custody case. At The Law Office of Matthew M. Williams, P.C., our diligent and understanding child custody attorneys help ease the process. We serve our clients with the utmost dedication and compassion in child custody cases. Contact our Aurora child custody lawyers today.

Sources:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/05/03/youtube-stars-lose-custody-children-after-controversial-prank-videos/309560001/

http://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/uncategorized/litigation-pretrial-summer09-admissibility.authcheckdam.pdf

https://www.isba.org/ibj/2014/06/buildingyourcasewithsocialmediaevid

http://www.divorcemag.com/family-law-attorney/4-mistakes-often-made-during-a-child-custody-battle