When social media started, with its focus on college students, adding a relationship status was a big part of the draw. People didn’t use things like Facebook as a dating app, per se, but they did learn about their fellow classmates.
Now that Facebook is open to everyone (and those initial college students are in their 30s and 40s), the focus has changed, but relationship statuses are still often noted. If you’re getting divorced, is it wise to change your status or post about the breakup?
Be careful of what you post online
Some couples do make these announcements, especially since it’s an easy way to tell people you rarely see so that you can avoid any awkward conversations later, but experts agree that this is something you need to handle carefully. If you and your ex can jointly make a civil post about ending your marriage, that’s fine. It can be useful, setting the tone for the way that your friends react.
However, if you’re at odds with each other, social media is not a good place to announce these things to the world. Remember that online posts are there forever. Even if you delete them, they can often be recovered and saved. If your ex brings them as evidence in a court case, they can be admitted — and that can be troublesome.
For instance, if you’re trying to fight for custody and you made an emotional post that makes you appear to be an unfit parent or exceptionally negative about your co-parent, it can work against you. If you post about your finances, that could be used while dividing assets. You just never know how the court may perceive your words.
As such, it’s usually best to avoid public posts and spend your time looking into your legal options while you’re going through a divorce.
