How Social Media Is Used As Courtroom Evidence

Like many Canadians, you might not go an entire day without updating your Facebook or Twitter page. Did you know these seemingly harmless activities could affect you in the courtroom? Recent precedents have shown that social media can be used as evidence in family law cases.

Social media is making lawyers jobs both easier and harder, depending on the online actions of their clients. It has become much easier for lawyers to collect electronic evidence on their opposing clients via Facebook and Twitter. For example, a Facebook status or message may contradict where someone claims his or her whereabouts to be. The tables are turned when this electronic evidence is gathered against the lawyer’s own client. In most family law cases, the character of a client comes into play. It could be very harmful for a parent petitioning for custody if they have a Facebook page full of photos and statuses about excessive drinking or other illicit behavior.

Due to the damaging social media evidence being presented in courtrooms, many Family Law lawyers are now requesting their clients to deactivate their online profiles at the beginning of a case. For more information and recent examples of social media as evidence in the courtroom, read the article, “What’s New in Family Law,” by clicking here.

Next time you are posting to an online profile, consider if you are representing yourself in the best way. Even if you are not currently involved in a court case, electronic evidence is hard to delete completely once it has been posted online.

About Vogel LLP
Vogel LLP is a Calgary based law firm with expertise in Personal Injury, Family Law, and Estate Litigation. The lawyers at Vogel LLP are united by the common goal of delivering successful legal solutions to clients. Vogel LLP lawyers strive to solve their client’s problems in the most timely and effective way in accordance with the highest standards of practice and ethical conduct.