Technology Tips During a Divorce

• Author: Cynthia J. Ponce
• Pages: 15-16

SUMMER 2021 15

Technology Tips

During a Divorce

BY CYNTHIA J. PONCE

Imagine for the rst two months of your divorce, your

soon-to-be ex-spouse has been ahead of you on each

strategic decision you and your attorney have taken in

your case. You learn that your ex-spouse has been using

your laptop to access the email account you use to

communicate with your attorney. You never changed the

password you stored on your web browser before letting your

child take your laptop to your spouse’s house for distance-

learning use. It is infuriating. Could this have been prevent-

ed? Yes. Initiating a divorce or separating from your spouse is

a major life decision that presents signicant issues you will

have to address. e last thing you may think about is

managing your life in the digital world, but managing your

electronic data should be a priority when you begin the

divorce process. Here are six tips for safeguarding your

electronic data during your divorce.

1. Change Your Password

Did you share any passwords with your spouse? is could

have been done through your shared Facebook account or

family email address used for setting up online accounts for

utilities and mortgage. You might not have shared online

accounts, but maybe you exchanged passwords during your

marriage. Once you have decided to separate from your

spouse, it would be best to change the passwords for all of

your online accounts, including email accounts, bank

accounts, credit card accounts, social media accounts, and

data storage accounts. Even if you believe your spouse does

not know your password, you should change it. Changing

your password will reduce the likelihood of your spouse

accessing your information, impersonating you online, or

wreaking any havoc on any of your accounts. Whatever you

do, do not change your password to “password”; rather,

create a password that would be dicult for anyone, includ-

ing your spouse, to guess.

2. Establish a Secure Email Ad dress

Related to changing your password, think about establishing

a new email address solely for communications with your

attorney. Communications with your attorney are privileged

and you should do what you can to ensure that you do not

waive this privilege. Email accounts are easy to create and are

usually free. If your spouse knows your email address, they

can try to guess your password, but that won’t be as easy

when they don’t know that you have a new email address.

Not only will you be protecting your emails with your

attorney, but you will also be maintaining all of your

case-related communications in one place.

3. Change Your Privacy Settings

Take the time to review your privacy settings on your

electronic devices and mobile applications. Do you have

applications that share your location with your spouse or

Published in Family Advocate, Volume 44, Number 1, Summer 2021. © 2021 by the American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof

may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association.