Social Networking Abuse and Its Impact on Contemporary Family Law Practice

Technology is a life-saver. It helps to keep our children safe and connected with us. But technology used in the context of separation and divorce is not always of the facilitating variety. To the contrary, family court judges and lawyers frequently observe how that same technology is used as a weapon ' either to gain an advantage in litigation or to intimidate or harass an opponent. Examples: An estranged spouse sends a text using capital letters or exclamation marks, demanding the return of a child's article of clothing. A parent makes a snarky comment on Facebook about her ex's new “significant other.” A custody litigant unwisely cuts and pastes parts of an unflattering psychologist's evaluation on the Web. A YouTube video is made flaunting a child's happiness in the presence of a new boyfriend or girlfriend, just to spur an ex's jealousy.