If you are watching this video you have a social media account whether its facebook, youtube, linkedin, snapchat or one of the many other social media services.  Social media is used for many purposes: to find old friends or make new ones, business networking and even as a general news source.  Unfortunately, in the context of an injury, divorce or custody matter, some people use social media to vent their frustration with people, places and things in a manner that can be detrimental to their case.  

For example, when I was working as an insurance defense attorney I was involved in a case where a plaintiff in a motor vehicle accident was claiming continuing pain and discomfort in a surgically repaired shoulder.  As part of her claim she was alleging that she could no longer ride her motorcycle that she loved.  After a thorough search of her social media presence online I discovered several intriguing posts on her facebook page.  In one post she professed that her injuries suffered in the accident had completely resolved and in another she described driving her motorcycle 100 mph a few months after her accident.  During her deposition I confronted her about her posts and both her and her attorney were caught off guard.  The case ultimately settled for less than it was worth due to her online disclosures.  

Just as the plaintiff I described in the personal injury matter ultimately hurt her case by sharing too much information on facebook, so too can an online disclosure hurt a divorce or custody participants case.  Photos and status updates regarding alcohol or drug use or threatening messages to your child’s other parent or spouse can be used in Court proceedings to undermine your case.  In important phrase that can be applied to any legal matter and is equally applicable online as it is when someone is arrested is “what you say can and will be used against you in a court of law”.

If you have questions regarding how social media can affect your personal injury, divorce and custody matter contact me today for a free no obligation case evaluation.