Recently the San Francisco Chronicle reported on a story about social media use in the courtroom and specifically, in family law cases.  A San Francisco family law firm warns social networking accounts and their activity are being used as evidence in divorce and child custody cases and that trend is on the rise.

This is a fair warning, and a good reminder that most social media account settings default to public, so any updates or tweets you send out are published for everyone to view.  The article explains that the social media activity is fair game in a courtroom and can be used against a parent in a child custody battle, for example.  It is also becoming more common for clients to turn over their social media passwords to the opposing counsel to view.  The article also provides many good recommendations for parents in a child custody battle or divorce:

• Emphasize pictures of your children
• De-emphasize pictures of drinking or other questionable behavior
• Adjust privacy settings so you have more control over who can post pictures of you or write on your Facebook Wall

These recommendations are important and you can find the entire article here.  If you are currently dealing with a divorce or child custody proceedings, contact Butler and Allen to review your rights and let us help you come to a settlement that is good for both parties involved.  New trends such as social media can be complex and having an experienced family law attorney on your side to help you come up with a strategy is the smart way to approach it.

Talks about virtual visitation aren’t new, but virtual visitation as a viable option in child custody cases is becoming more realistic and more common every day.

First, you may be wondering just what virtual visitation is.
Many people think of it as the next best thing to seeing your children in person. When parents can’t have face-to-face visits, they can have visits electronically – via email, instant message, video chats, texting, and more.

Most commonly, it allows parents who live in different locations than their children to be more consistent presences in their lives. However, it has been an option for parents who are incarcerated, parents who can’t see their children because of domestic violence disputes, or simply to supplement in-person visits for parents living in or near the same locations as their children.

So, why is it a more viable option today? For several reasons, ranging from affordable technology to state legislation.

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Tifanne E. E. Wolter has joined the experienced staff of family law attorneys at St. Paul based firm Butler & Allen, P.A.

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“Court Gives Parental Rights a Boost” is a Pioneer Press article by Hannah Allam quoting Butler & Allen, P.A. partner Linda Allen.

Emphasizing the importance of parental rights, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled Thursday that only in the most extraordinary circumstances should a child be removed from a surviving parent’s care if the other parent dies.
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