On behalf of The Walters Law Group, Ltd. posted in Divorce on Friday, January 18, 2013.
Social networking has become a mainstay in our society and many Chicago residents like to share pictures of their children. There are many, however, who do not want to expose their children online, or who want to wait until their child is old enough to play an active role in deciding what to post or not post.
When parents debate over the parameters of their child’s exposure it can be tense, In the case of divorce it is even more difficult. In one couple’s case, both parents had agreed to keep their children offline while they were married, but after they divorced the mother ran across pictures of her children and her ex husband on a dating site and was extremely upset.
The custody agreement reached in the course of the divorce had made no provision for how the online lives of the children would be managed. In the past most people would not give this type of custody a second thought. However, with growing concerns over privacy many parents are looking to define what is appropriate and have their decision backed by a family court.
While some parents are concerned about protecting their children online, other parents see helping children develop an online social networking presence will help them later in life. Some parents have gone as far as creating a social networking page for their children before they are even born. Regardless of what side of the issue a specific parent is on, it is apparent that the issue of a child’s online presence is not one that can be ignored.
Source: St. Louis Post Dispatch, “Who gets custody of the Facebook profile info after a divorce?” Aisha Sultan, Dec. 31, 2012