Social Media Agreements Now Part of More Divorce Cases

Bitter Twitters and Facebook fits are becoming increasingly more common during bitter divorce and child custody disputes, and the idea of social media non-disclosure agreements between warring spouses is beginning to gain traction among divorce attorneys, according to a recent article in Canada’s National Post.

The Post interviewed celebrity divorce attorney Gloria Allred, who noted that the fact cyber-based non-disclosure is being discussed at all is a “2010 phenomenon” and a sign of the times. While most celebrity divorces include non-disclosure agreements, that trend has not yet filtered its way down to the mass divorcing public. However, that may soon change.

Recently, a judge in Canada told a father to “unfriend” his daughter on Facebook so she could not see the unflattering remarks about her mother on his wall page, and to change his password so she would not have access to his Facebook account.

A divorce mediator quoted in the article says it is becoming increasingly common for her clients to discuss their social media habits and make new rules for what they will and will not share with the online world.

Some divorce attorneys have said that while these agreements are not yet legally binding, this may soon change. Those interviewed for the article said that while most couples realize it is in their own best interest not to have their divorce settlements made public, in this age of instantaneous access to social media, it may be time to make explicit agreements ruling online conduct.