The typical process to obtain information from a spouse in a Connecticut divorce is to file a written request requesting the information. This is known as discovery. As it pertains to websites, social media accounts etc., the process ordinarily involves the other spouse providing the requested the information. In some instances, you can simply visit a social network and, if the information is within the public domain, you can gather the information yourself.
But a Connecticut judge has taken it a step further. The judge ordered the spouses to provide passwords to their online accounts to their respective attorneys. The lawyers then would use the passwords to go into the accounts of the other spouse (not their client) and see what they can find.
The case at hand apparently involves a hotly contested custody case. The lawyer representing the father claims the information on the sites will show how the mother feels about her children and her inability to properly care for her children.
A parent’s online activities and email exchanges are now routinely being used in Family Court to show everything from communication between the parents to questionable online activities that impact one’s parental fitness.