When an Illinois couples walks through the divorce process, they will negotiate a settlement or go to court for a ruling on matters such as property division, child custody and financial support. If you are facing divorce, you know that you will also have to deal with these issues as well. What many overlook, however, is their digital lives.
Couples often share a tightly intertwined online life together. From Facebook accounts to online banking, you have connections to your spouse in more ways than you realized. When you decide to separate or divorce, you would be wise to take immediate steps to start extricating your online life from your spouse. This effort can save you stress and complications down the road.
Protecting yourself
No matter how amicable you may be with your spouse, it is important for you to protect your long-term interests in every way possible during your divorce. There are ways you can start doing this now, no matter where you are in the legal process. One thing you can do is to remove yourself from shared cell phone accounts. Even if it is less expensive to keep things as they are, sharing accounts and payment responsibilities opens the door for fights and conflict down the road.
Another way you can protect yourself is to change all of your passwords and your pin numbers. This includes everything from the login you use for Facebook to your pin for your online banking account. This is an important way to protect your privacy and keep your information in its rightful place.
What you do online matters
What you post on social media during your divorce can come back to haunt you. It is best not to discuss your divorce online, and you would be wise to be very careful about what type of information you put out there for the world to see — even if your accounts are private and limited to your allowed followers.
Depending on your situation, you may also want to wipe your computer clean or reset all setting. This can ensure your privacy and protection if your former spouse somehow accesses your computer at some point in the future.
Your post-divorce future
The steps you take during divorce matter for your post-divorce future. It is wise to be careful, thoughtful and think about the best way to secure your long-term protection and well-being. You may want to discuss your specific concerns with an experienced divorce attorney.
