Tag Archive for: Facebook

Facebook Predicts Which Relationships Will Last

Facebook has developed an algorithm that predicts whether your relationship will last or not. Researchers looked at 1.3 million Facebook users to determine their “dispersion”.

Dispersion is the extent of overlap in two people’s mutual friends. If you have high dispersion, you each have your own set of friends. Low dispersion means your friends are friends with one another.

High dispersion relationships are likely to last, but low dispersion relationships tended to be over in about two months. The conclusion is that you are more likely to have a strong relationship if you each maintain your own separate circle of friends.

/by James J. Gross

Husband Forgets to Update Facebook Status

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Today Facebook launches its highly anticipated IPO.  So naturally we wanted to bring you a Facebook divorce story.

Laura Weisman reports in the San Francisco Chronicle that a woman in India has filed for divorce because her husband had not updated his relationship status on Facebook.  He was still listed as “single instead of “married”.  He says he was distracted with family and business and forgot to change it.

The couple had an arranged marriage just two months ago.  The judge has ordered the couple to undergo counseling over the next six months.

Apparently, there are several cases in India where spouses in arranged marriages have asked the court to divorce them on flimsy reasons, such as who makes the tea or failure to take an in-law’s phone call.

/by James J. Gross

Facebook Evidence in Custody Battles

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Postings on Facebook are turning up as Exhibit 1 in more and more custody battles.  Although custody is supposed to be about best interests of the children, parties in conflict are more often than not inclined to try to show the other is a bad parent.

If you post your thoughts on Facebook, you may be giving the other side a roadmap for your case.  Do you want your spouse and his or her counsel to know what you are thinking and what your strategy is?

If you make angry statements about your spouse, you may be stepping in wet concrete.  The other side can use these statements in court to attack your credibility if you say something different.  Or to show the judge what kind of person you are if the statements are unreasonable.

The solution is to keep this in mind.  The first thing your spouse’s attorney will do after signing the retainer, is print out all your Facebook posts to use against you at trial.

/by James J. Gross