Parenting Pointers: Family Law Attorney Says People Should Log Off Social Media During a Divorce

  Longtime Chicago-area family law attorney Raiford Dalton Palmer says that people going through a divorce should log off of social media until it’s over to avoid the risk of any posts backfiring on their case. 

Palmer, author of the Amazon bestselling book “I Just Want This Done: How Smart, Successful People Get Divorced Without Losing Their Kids, Money, and Minds,” says that he has seen many people undermine their own cases with posts on sites like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

“It’s obvious that you shouldn’t post an attack on your spouse or a complaint about the divorce process,” said Palmer, who is managing shareholder of Chicago-based STG Divorce Law. “But people have also hurt their case for seemingly innocent posts like a photo of them going to a nightclub, hanging out with a new significant other or spending money on a new gadget.”

Palmer said that social media posts can hurt people’s cases by annoying their spouse, who may be less likely to settle as a result; by hurting the image they have cultivated in court; or by providing evidence that undermines claims they have made about their financial situation.

 He said that social media sites can also encourage these kinds of posts, since they are designed to reward users for being provocative. But Palmer pointed to the case of conservative commentator Steven Crowder, whose attacks on his wife on his own programs and on social media have led to a firestorm online.

“If you want to get through a divorce without destroying your own life, you need to keep your thoughts to yourself for a little bit,” he added. “Logging off of social media is the best way to ensure that you stick to that plan.”

To learn more about Palmer’s new book “I Just Want This Done,” visit: www.ijustwantthisdone.com 

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About Raiford Dalton Palmer, J.D., AAML
Raiford Dalton Palmer is a long-time Illinois attorney and managing shareholder of Chicago-based STG Divorce Law where he concentrates on family law focusing on complex divorce cases, especially those involving high-income earners. His work includes collaborative divorce, mediation, child custody, and post-divorce matters as well as premarital/post-marital agreements. He has successfully won multiple jury and bench trials and managed numerous successful arbitrations and mediations. Raiford has also argued an appeal before the Illinois Appellate Court. He is a frequent lecturer on Illinois divorce law and law firm management topics and is also a Fellow in the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers and the Collaborative Law Institute. To learn more, visit: www.ijustwantthisdone.com