If you are going through a Massachusetts divorce, you might be tempted to try your luck at online dating, or to meet people through other means and then share your adventures, and possibly, images, online. Until that divorce is finalized, however, you may be remiss to do so, as the things you do online can come back to haunt you in the courtroom. At Kajko, Weisman & Colasanti, LLP, we have a firm understanding of the ways your online actions can affect your divorce, and we have helped many clients navigate these and other complexities relating to their separations.

Divorces can take time, but Huffington Post reports that your actions online have the capacity to affect everything from child custody and support to alimony. Therefore, is critical that you think before you act, post, share or otherwise initiate electronic contact until your marriage officially ends.

When you know a divorce looms ahead, you may feel inclined to “get out there” and see if you can find someone who better suits your needs. Doing so before your divorce is final is never a good idea, however. Keep in mind that your spouse and his or her attorneys may use any dating profiles or online communications you have made to suggest or imply infidelity on your part, even if this is not, in fact, the case. It may also prove unwise to post pictures of you out on the town late at night or anything that indicates you are spending frivolously, as this may affect you negatively in terms of child custody, child support or alimony decisions.

You also should exercise extreme care in your electronic communications, and this applies to emails and text messages. Both are admissible in court, and they can be used against you if there is anything in them that might contradict what you revealed about your earnings, spending habits, dating life and so on. The smartest move you can make when it comes to using social media and other electronic communication methods during divorce is simply not to use them. More about divorce is available on our web page.