We know that “first impressions” can impact how we are perceived in our personal lives, work lives, and in public. Just as though you may think about what you will wear to court in putting your best foot forward, you may also want to think about what your social media profile says about you. Although this is true for anyone, it is particularly important if you are about to engage in litigation. Increasingly, we are seeing things like Facebook postings, dating site profiles, and Instagram photos being produced in court, and a judge referring to them.
Once you’ve made a post that you may later regret in a public forum, it is difficult to “take it back.” These posts are electronic evidence that may be relevant to the matter, and you will not be able to destroy what you wrote to protect yourself after the fact.
What you can do is think about what you will post going forward.
You will not help your case by writing about your litigation on social media, whether it be writing about the judge, the lawyers, the opposing party, or their family/friends. While sometimes a rant on social media will provide you with immediate relief, and the support of your online community, it may come back to work against you in Court litigation.
Think about what your profile or posts say about you. How would someone who does not know you interpret the information posted on your social media? What would they say? What conclusions would be drawn?
At Lloyd and Kemper Family Lawyers, we practice exclusively in the area of family law, including matters related to parenting and custody of children, child support, spousal support, division of property, marriage contracts, cohabitation agreements, separation agreements, divorce, Family Responsibility Office matters, and enforcement of orders. If you wish to discuss your options, legal rights and obligations or have questions specific to your situation, please contact our office at 905-493-6788 or info@lkfamilylawyers.com.
For more information, visit our website, at www.lkfamilylawyers.com.
