Spy Technologies Can Complicate Divorce

Many people in Missouri considering divorce may be concerned about the impact of the age of technology, social media and smartphones on the end of their marriage. This fear may be exacerbated in situations where a troubled marriage is accompanied by abusive or controlling behaviors. The advent of technologies like GPS trackers can make stalking a real and dangerous threat.

In some situations, people result to spy technology in an attempt to prove that their partner was having an affair. In other cases, this behavior may simply be a justification for ongoing techniques of abuse and control that are being brought to an end by the divorce.

Former partners have discovered telephone and computer spyware on their smartphones and laptops as well as GPS trackers hidden on their vehicles. In other cases, simpler technologies shared at a happier time for the relationship like Find My iPhone or similar apps or joint passwords can be exploited by divorcing partners in order to find out additional information about a former spouse without their consent. Many divorce lawyers have reported the use of these technologies against their clients. In most cases, spying technology was used against the advice of the lawyer or before the lawyer was consulted at all.

It can be difficult for victims of electronic surveillance to prove that the surveillance happened or that their former partner is responsible. In many cases, there is no evidence of who was responsible for installing spyware. In other cases, jointly owned property, like a car titled to both parties, is the subject of surveillance, making it legal. People who are facing the end of a marriage and are troubled by surveillance technologies may want to discuss their concerns with a family law attorney.