According to a February 2010 study by the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 81% of their responding attorneys claimed they were seeing a vast increase in the amount of evidence gathered from social media sites during their divorce cases.
That was two years ago, prior to Twitter's meteoric rise to prominence amongst the social media community today and before Google+ even existed. Imagine how important social media sites will be to divorce cases tomorrow.
While sites like Facebook and Twitter hold vast amounts of information that could be used against a former spouse in court, social media does not just play an evidentiary role in divorce proceedings. The social media platforms can just as easily cause a divorce, as one man found out recently.
The 31-year-old never updated his relationship status to "married" after saying his vows to his 28-year-old just two months prior. He probably thought nothing of it.
Turns out he should have given it more thought, as the lack of an online label convinced the woman to divorce her husband of two months. She says that she "couldn't trust him" anymore though there must be more to the story than that (right?).
The judge presiding over their case ruled a six-month counseling term for the troubled couple.
Yes, this case is extreme and it does not represent the overwhelming majority of marriages (and divorces). However, the power of social media is undeniable. It can doom a relationship and foster a former spouse's courtroom ambitions to make your life an open book.
Source: Huffington Post, "Facebook Divorce: Woman Divorces Husband Over Facebook Dispute," May 17, 2012
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