Why you should be careful with social media when divorcing

Hold that post! If you are in the midst of a divorce, you may want to take a minute before posting that picture or sharing your location because what your ex sees could hurt you. This is especially true if you are in the midst of an emotionally charged contested divorce.

Social media has become a regular part of most of our lives and many of us don't think twice about posting a funny quip on Twitter, sharing a picture on Facebook, or making a comment on MySpace. Unfortunately, as advertisers have already discovered, social media has become a perfect platform for getting a snapshot into our lives.

Now family law attorneys are getting savvy about what we post and using it as evidence in divorce and custody battles. While there are certainly many things that wouldn't cause issue, a photo taken while letting off steam could be taken out of context and hurt you in a divorce. Here are a few simple rules to remember:

• Pause before you post - Use care when posting pictures of yourself. Even if you think you're invisible, they could be found and used against you.
• Keep your location to yourself - Resist the urge to post your location. If you aren't where you are supposed to be and your ex finds out, you could be in for it. Even photos that are uploaded can have your location attached to them.
• Separate your circles - This last tip should be followed to the best of your ability. Even sorting friends can be tough in divorce, but information as simple as a relationship status update could come back to haunt you.

Divorce and child custody disputes often cause emotions to flare. Using care when using social media can help you avoid eruptions that could derail your case.