Everything you Tweet can and will be Used Against You in a Court of Law

A recent NBC Bay Area article revealed lawyers are heavily relying on social networks for evidence in divorce cases. In fact, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers stated in the article that a solid “81 percent of members polled had seen evidence from social networks in the courtroom, with 66 percent saying the evidence came from Facebook, 15 percent from MySpace and 5 percent from Twitter.”  

Colorado divorce attorney Leslie Matthews said in an interview with the Associated Press that many people are unaware that their online activity is monitored on such “personal” sites. As you can imagine, Matthews, like other attorneys, is extremely appreciative of the evidence these social media networks provide. Some priceless examples include:

“Husband goes on Match.com and declares his single, childless status while seeking primary custody of said nonexistent children.”

“Father seeks custody of the kids, claiming (among other things) that his ex-wife never attends the events of their young ones. Subpoenaed evidence from the gaming site World of Warcraft tracks her there with her boyfriend at the precise time she was supposed to be out with the children. Mom loves Facebook's Farmville, too, at all the wrong times.”

Moral of the story? 

You might want to think twice about tweeting the details of your successful shopping spree when it was your night to take care of the kids.

Moreover, whether or not you’re headed to court, you should always be careful of the content you post online. Facebook unfortunately does not offer the same privacy protection it provided just a few years ago despite the feeling of security it attempts to market. And, since virtually anyone can follow you on these sites when your profile is publicly displayed, it’s important to watch what information you are disclosing to “friends” you’ve never even met before.   

So, if you’re using social media for both your personal and professional life, be cautious about what you post. It may come back to haunt you – even in court.

About the Author: Sarah Linker

As an Off Madison Ave intern, Sarah assists the public relations department with traditional as well as new media client outreach. Sarah is a senior at Washington State University, majoring in public relations with minors in business administration and sociology.

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