The use of social media has spread throughout the United State's population like wildfire. One of the most popular outlets for those participating in online sharing in the state of Ohio is Facebook. For some residents of Ohio, posting status updates and photos is a routine part of each day.

People involved in contentious divorces and child custody battles need to take note however. In some places, these posts are of interest not only to one's Facebook "friends," but to family courts as well. This is because depending on where one lives, posts may be used against you in a court of law. This evidence is most commonly used in child custody battles.

In multiple cases, Facebook posts have served as damning evidence in custody battles. For example, one mother was granted primary custody of her child after a post the father had written was introduced as evidence. The man wrote a post that indicated in lieu of actually punching the mother of his child, he would have to be satisfied with taping her photo to a punching bag instead.

While in some cases Facebook posts may be used as evidence, it is more common that they serve as a catalyst for a divorce. A growing amount of extramarital affairs are occurring as a result of connections made through the social media site. In many cases information uncovered in posts on Facebook prompts a spouse contemplating filing a divorce complaint, to actually do it.

This information leads attorneys in the field to communicate a new warning to their clients-- stay away from Facebook!

Source: Pottstown Patch, "Facebook May Be Used Against You In Court, Local Lawyers Say," James Myers, Feb. 1, 2012