Steven M. Bishop Divorce Law Blog on Lawyers.com

Unfriended - Divorce and the digital age

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 by Steven M. Bishop

Connectivity is an enormous benefit of the digital age. However, digitizing your personal life can be troublesome in many ways. With the growth of social media, words are becoming an ever-increasing source of hurt and divorce.

According to San Diego family law statistics, 13,682 couples sought an end to their relationships from January through November 2010. For some acrimonious break-ups, divorce has gone digital.

In a 2010 survey, the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers found 81 percent of divorce lawyers cited an increase in the use of digital media in divorce in the last five years. 66 percent of respondents listed Facebook as a primary source of evidence, ahead of MySpace and Twitter.

Legal evidence for presentation in divorce litigation is now only a download away. While divorce procedure in San Diego is relatively straightforward, too often online ammunition fuels the animosity of a legal case, including the following:

� Friending: Online conversation with a stranger, or old flame, often fans the fire of divorce. The most damaging loss of intimacy to a relationship is oftentimes not physical, but emotional. When a partner turns more frequently to friends found online, relationship with a spouse can sour faster than it might have otherwise. When online communication leads to real-world connection, a marriage can end.

� Unfriending: You can often find digital evidence of divorce, or evidence for a divorce. Virtual affairs, with no physical contact, end marriages. Proof of physical affairs including incriminating first-person accounts, email, and photographs, is often found online and used in court.

In this day, and in every age, words can hurt. Be careful how, and where, you use them.

Skilled legal help with family law in San Diego

As a Certified Family Law Specialist, Attorney Stephen M. Bishop offers highly experienced counsel and representation with San Diego family law matters. With 30 years spent successfully advising clients about divorce, child custody, and other family law issues, our firm can help you, and your family, move forward with your lives. Contact us today.

Steven M. Bishop, Attorney at Law

591 Camino De La Reina
Suite # 1120
San Diego, California 92108
619-299-9780

Posted at 12:27 PM

Topic: Divorce