Family Law Connection is brought to you by Wegner Buchanan. Wegner Buchanan is a lawfirm in St. Louis, Missouri focusing on family and criminal law. We represent individuals involved in divorces, child custody, child support, and maintenance disputes, as well as most all family law matters. The personal and financial consequences of these family law disputes can be severe. IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY LAW PROBLEM, CALL US TODAY AT 314-726-6464. WE WILL MEET WITH YOU FREE OF CHARGE TO DISCUSS YOUR CASE.

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Friday, February 19, 2010

Facebook and Divorce

Facebook is playing an increasingly important role in divorce. The social networking site, which connects old friends and allows users to make new ones online, has been blamed by some for an increase in the number of marital breakups. Some claim the explosion in the popularity of websites such as Facebook is tempting people to stray from their marriages. In one review, Facebook was identified as a cause of the breakup in 2 out of 5 divorce petitions.

Facebook and other social networking websites are also playing an important role in the divorce proceeding. Parties involved in a divorce sometimes post negative comments about their soon to be ex-spouse on Facebook. These negative comments and postings may be discovered by the opposing spouse and introduced as evidence in the divorce proceeding. These postings often end up portraying the posting spouse in a negative light. Negative comments about your spouse on Facebook or other publicly available spaces on the internet may hurt your divorce case.

Postings on Facebook can have a dramatic impact on custody disputes. In a custody dispute, the Judge bases the decision on what he or she believes to be in the best interest of the child or children. The perceived stability, responsibility, and family friendly lifestyle of each parent can impact the custody decision. Photographs and written postings on Facebook that portray a parent in an unflattering light may be introduced as evidence and may impact the custody decision. Parents should be careful to prevent unflattering pictures and postings from being posted on Facebook.

If you have any questions about your divorce or custody case, call Wegner Buchanan at 314-726-6464 for a free initial consultation.