Be Careful What You Post

It’s so easy today to snap a picture and post it for all to see.

A beautiful dinner at a posh restaurant. An afternoon apple-picking in a local orchard. The new shoes you bought for your hot date.

Oops. Was anyone supposed to know you’re dating already? Will your ex find out?

Everything we publish must be vetted against the wisdom of publishing versus not publishing. And that includes social media.

As a family law attorney, I am naturally cautious about what is put out into the world because I know it can come back as evidence against you. Even more so now that we are a click away from letting everyone know the details of our lives.

I’ve had clients complain that they have no money and can’t pay their obligations, even their attorney bills. And then I see them on Facebook taking expensive vacations, buying pricey purses, and showing off expensive jewelry. Clearly, it’s more a case of prioritizing, not wanting to pay off a debt, child support or my bill rather than not being able to.

I don’t bemoan anyone their happiness. I just caution everyone to think twice, maybe even three times, before posting their lives for the whole world to see.

Especially if you’re going through a divorce or taking your ex back to court. Do a communications audit of your own to make sure there is nothing you’ve published online that anyone can use against you.

Are you being consistent? Do you risk being impeached because there is a discrepancy between the information posted on Facebook and what you represent in the courtroom?

Think of your personal blog, your social media posts, the photos you’ve snapped and shared. Are you respectful of your ex if you mention him/her at all? Do you flaunt your new beau in front of the kids before your ex knows about it? Are you appropriate across the board?

Because if you’re not, I promise it will come back to haunt you.

Social media can get us in big trouble nowadays. When you’ve shared years with another person and parted ways, you have friends and neighbors in common, kids’ friends and their families in common, and someone along the way will rat you out.

Perhaps they should. If we are foolish enough to post harrowing evidence online, we deserve what comes back to us.

So beware of what you post. You can never be too careful. All it takes is one misguided missive for everything to blow up around you – and then there’s no going back.

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