Divorce and MySpace and FaceBook and…
August 25, 2009
Social Networking During Divorce
Divorce and Communication
When parents divorce, they often have to find new ways to communicate with each other about their children. Sometimes it’s a good idea to pass a notebook along with the children when they go for parenting time. Sometimes it’s a good idea to set up an account at Our Family Wizard to to keep track of important dates on a shared schedule.
Divorce, Child Custody, Alimony, Child Support and Social Networking
One thing that is NOT a good idea, however, is to use online social networking services, such as Facebook or MySpace as a soap box to talk about your former spouse in a negative way.
Social networking sites allow you to share content with family, friends, colleagues, strangers, anyone with access to the internet. There is great potential to help you keep in touch with people, but it also has great potential to help you alienate people and look like the worst possible parent.
From Where I stand as a Family Lawyer
I urge you to resist the temptation to find out where your former spouse is posting online, and even more, I urge you to resist the temptation to respond to anything he or she posts. Do not start a passive aggressive flamewar by posting on YOUR site in reaction to something posted on his or her site.
There is no good that can come of this. If you need to vent, do so over the telephone or a cup of coffee to a friend or trusted family member. Do not post it publicly and permanently on a website where people will see and judge you for it. People do not know your whole history, and posting a one-word essay on the unfitness of your former spouse is not likely to make anyone agree with you – they are more likely to turn against you.
Take the High Road
Social networking gives you the opportunity to practice taking the high road, and to make choices that are concerned with the best interest of your children. That includes refraining from fighting or vilifying the other parent in a way that will only vilify yourself.
Emily Matson
Jon and Kate and Child Custody
July 2, 2009
Jon and Kate, co-parenting
Jon and Kate and Child Custody
Last week, we discovered that, indeed, Jon and Kate are going to divorce. They are planning to use a very common co-parenting technique, called “bird-nesting”. “Bird-nesting” leaves the children in a single home, with the parents switching out. The best practice involves both parents obtaining a second residence, in addition to the one used for parenting time with the children. However, sometimes, co-parents can share a single residence for a short period of time.
“Bird-nesting” and co-parenting
“Bird-nesting” is not usually a long term solution for co-parenting, as people increasingly find it hinders their ability to pursue other relationships, as well as infringes upon their privacy. There is at least some thought that bird-nesting is not in the best interests of the children. See the All Academic web site. (purchase required). In my experience, children handle divorce a lot better than parents think they will. Unless your children have special needs, it is likely that they can handle having more than one bed.
In Jon and Kate’s situation, bird-nesting might be a necessity, since few people want to duplicate a home that will satisfy the needs of eight children as well as two individuals that will be going their own way.
Jennifer Moore
Moore Family Law
Plymouth, MN
Minnesota Family Law and Estate Planning 