Looking over their options: Social networks make it easier for people to reconnect with past loves. |
Facebook is becoming a major factor in marriage breakdowns and is increasingly being used as a source of evidence in divorce cases, according to lawyers. The social networking site was cited as a reason for a third of divorces last year in which unreasonable behaviour was a factor, according to law firm Divorce-Online. The firm said it had seen a 50 percent jump in the number of behaviour-based divorce petitions that contained the word ‘Facebook’ in the past two years. Mark Keenan, managing director of Divorce-Online, said: ‘Facebook has become the primary method for communicating with friends for many people. 'People contact ex-partners and the messages start as innocent, but lead to trouble. ‘If someone wants to have an affair or flirt with the opposite sex then it’s the easiest place to do it.’ Thirty-three percent of the 5,000 behaviour petitions filed with the firm in the past year mentioned the site. The most common reasons for Facebook causing problems in relationships were a spouse finding flirty messages, photos of their partner at a party they did not know about or with someone they should not have been with. Anne-Marie Hutchinson, at Dawson Cornwell Solicitors, said: ‘If you are keeping things from your partner, Facebook makes it so much easier for them to find out.’ She said the site can be used as evidence of unreasonable behaviour, adding: ‘If you are complaining that they have a drinking problem and they have posted statuses about going out on the razzle... that could be used.’ Mr Keenan said he warned his clients to keep off Facebook while going through divorce proceedings. He added: ‘People need to be careful what they put on Facebook as the courts are now seeing a lot more evidence being introduced from people’s walls and posts in disputes over finances and children.’ (Read by Nelly Min. Nelly Min is a journalist at the China Daily Website.) (Agencies) |
據(jù)律師透露,F(xiàn)acebook正日益成為婚姻破裂的一大主因,而且越來越多地在離婚案件中被用作證據(jù)來源。 據(jù)律師事務(wù)所“離婚在線”稱,去年那些因“不合理行為”離婚的案件中有三分之一將社交網(wǎng)站作為離婚原因之一。 該事務(wù)所稱在過去兩年內(nèi)因不合理行為提出的離婚訴訟中,含有Facebook一詞的起訴書比例增加了50%。 “離婚在線”的總經(jīng)理馬克?基南說:“Facebook已成為很多人和朋友交流的主要方式?!?/p> “人們用Facebook和以前的情人或配偶聯(lián)系,他們最開始發(fā)送信息的動機(jī)是單純的,但卻招來了麻煩?!?/p> “如果有人想和異性搞婚外戀或調(diào)情,那么在Facebook上最容易做到。” 去年提交給該事務(wù)所的5000份因不合理行為提出的離婚訴訟中,有33%提到了這一社交網(wǎng)站。 Facebook導(dǎo)致感情危機(jī)最常見的原因是配偶發(fā)現(xiàn)調(diào)情的信息,伴侶在自己不知道的派對上的照片,或伴侶和某個不該見面的人在一起的照片。 道森?康威爾律師事務(wù)所的安妮-瑪麗?哈欽森說:“如果你向伴侶隱瞞了事情,F(xiàn)acebook會讓他們更輕易地發(fā)現(xiàn)這些事情?!?/p> 她說,該網(wǎng)站可被用作“不合理行為”的證據(jù)。哈欽森補(bǔ)充說:“如果你正抱怨伴侶有酗酒問題,而他們的Facebook狀態(tài)更新有“外出狂歡”相關(guān)內(nèi)容,你就可以用這個作證?!?/p> 基南說,他警告自己的客戶在打離婚官司期間,要遠(yuǎn)離Facebook。 他補(bǔ)充道:“人們需要當(dāng)心自己放在Facebook上的東西,因?yàn)楝F(xiàn)在法院受理的爭奪財產(chǎn)和子女的離婚案件中,看到的來自人們Facebook留言板和上傳圖文的證據(jù)比以前多得多?!?/p> 相關(guān)閱讀 (中國日報網(wǎng)英語點(diǎn)津 陳丹妮 編輯:Julie) |
Vocabulary: razzle: 狂歡 proceedings: 訴訟;訴訟程序 |