Electronic Security in Divorce and Privacy Concerns

Electronic Security in Divorce and Privacy Concerns

Electronic  security in divorce and privacy are big issues in modern day divorce and custody suits.  Spouses are using shared accounts and devices to access information that could be used at trial.  More attorneys are sending electronic preservation letters to opposing parties to preserve your electronic accounts, text messages, emails, social media posts, or social media private messages.  This would allow your spouse or significant other to have you produce copies of every single text, email, or communication you may be receiving.

Here are some suggestions to avoid electronic communications from coming back to hurt you in divorce.  Here are a few suggestions from Forbes divorce blogger, Jeff Flanders.

• Restrict your online activity.  Some divorcing parties deactivate their Facebook accounts while their marriages are in turmoil, then reactivate them when the dust settles after the divorce. Others simply post less often than they used to, and only in the blandest, most unassailable fashion. Take whatever steps are sensible for you to prevent online mishaps while you are divorcing. Never post about a new relationship, and never post in a way that might even suggest you are spending money frivolously.

• Change your passwords and security questions for account recovery. Make sure your husband won’t be able to guess the answers to those questions.

• Open a new email account. Use this new address to conduct your personal business from this point forward

• Review and tighten privacy settings on social media accounts. Remember, though, that if your social media contacts don’t share your concerns, you are still vulnerable in ways you cannot control.

• Keep control of your devices. Many of us share calendars and other apps across more than one device, and sync them automatically. While it can be convenient for keeping the whole family up to date, this can also mean that your text messages and other communications are not as private as you need them to be. You might also want to turn off location tracking on your devices.

• Consult your attorney. Some methods of digging up information about a person online are illegal; others are fair game. Likewise, some information is admissible in court, and some isn’t. Laws governing such things vary from state to state. Your attorney can advise you about the laws where you live.

You can read more from the article here.

Check out an update to this blog with additional tips and concerns.