Personal data impacts divorce and family law issues

Identity theft is common these days and can ruin a person’s finances, reputation and life. The risks brought by identity theft are not the only reasons why California spouses should protect their personal data. Digital information should be protected from spouses, especially in the event of a divorce and other family law issues, such as child custody and child support disputes.

A new study from McAfee reported troubling results regarding divorcing spouses and digital information. According to the study, 96 percent of adults trust their partners with intimate photos, passwords and other personal information they have shared on mobile devices. Of this, only 32 percent of participants have asked their former spouses to delete that personal data after separating. Also, former spouses occasionally cyber stalk or log onto their ex’s social media account if passwords remain unchanged. One in five said they have opened their spouse’s Facebook account, and 30 percent admitted that they viewed their current partner’s ex on social media.

Considering the current high rate of divorce, a former spouse may be tempted to use personal data of an ex-partner for revenge and other devious purposes. If that happens, this data may cause great damage to the other spouse, both financially and emotionally. To avoid such circumstances and protect one’s reputation, it is vital to change all passwords, security questions and PINs on all online accounts once shared with an ex-spouse. Doing so may prevent the other party from using credit card information or sharing inappropriate photos.

A personal data theft can damage divorcing spouses in so many ways. Preventing that damage from happening by considering the different family law issues pertaining to divorce may help avoid negative consequences in the future.

Source: The Huffington Post, “Divorcing? Protect Your Finances Personal Data,” Jason Alderman, July 23, 2014