Navigating Divorce in the Digital Age: Practical Steps
Divorce is rarely simple—but in the digital age, untangling a shared life includes not just financial assets and arrangements for children, but also passwords, cloud accounts, and even social media. Whether amicable or contested, a divorce now requires consideration of your digital footprint to ensure privacy, security, and peace of mind. Here are some practical steps to take regarding technology before, during, and after a divorce.
- Change Your Passwords Immediately
Start by securing all your personal accounts by changing your passwords. This includes:
- Email accounts (Gmail, Outlook, etc.)
- Cloud storage (Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud)
- Banking apps
- Social media
- Streaming services (Netflix, Spotify, etc.)
- Online shopping accounts (Amazon, eBay)
- Review Shared Devices and Accounts
Couples often share devices such as laptops and tablets, and other smart home devices (such as Alexa and Google Nest). It is also common to share TV and music accounts and other utility accounts, and also family data and phone account.
On separation, you should consider removing or unlinking shared profiles or accounts, logging out of accounts on shared devices, or doing a ‘factory reset’ on devices that you are returning or no longer using.
Digital property—like cryptocurrency wallets, online businesses, intellectual property, or even social media accounts linked to businesses—should be disclosed and divided, just like physical or financial assets.
- Back Up Important Data Before Separating Devices
Make sure to:
- Download personal photos, documents, and emails you wish to keep.
- Create separate cloud accounts if you previously shared one.
- Double-check that you’re not deleting data your ex might legally be entitled to, particularly if there are ongoing legal proceedings.
- Establish New Communication Boundaries
If tensions are high, digital communication can easily become a source of conflict. It is sensible to negotiate and agree appropriate boundaries at an early stage. You could consider using co-parenting apps (like App Close or OurFamilyWizard or TalkingParents) to keep communication structured and documented.
- Protect Your Privacy on Social Media
Social media can also cause a lot of conflict during and after separation. We would suggest the following:
- Change your privacy settings so that your profile is not public, and review your list of followers and who you are you following.
- Avoid posting about the divorce, your ex, or anything that could be inappropriate. You should also be mindful of any comments regarding your children.
- You should never post about court proceedings on social media.
A family lawyer is able to help with the complex legal matters that arise on separation, but also with the whole range of practical issues that need to be addressed. We offer a free initial 30 minute appointment at our offices in Fakenham or Holt. To arrange an appointment with one of our family lawyers please get in touch. Our telephone number is 01328 863131 or our email address is [email protected].
