Couples seeking a divorce in Texas should take their online accounts just as seriously as any others. It’s important to decide how to handle your passwords.
Communications and location services
If your divorce is contentious, you probably won’t want your spouse to be able to access your emails or texts. If they know your email password and the passcode for your cell phone, you should immediately change them.
Location services should also be taken into account. If you allow your location to be tracked by apps, you may want to tweak the settings on your phone to turn that off. This is especially important if your spouse is abusive or possessive. Even resetting the GPS in your vehicle might be a priority.
Financial accounts
Things can get complex with shared online financial accounts. However, you can separate yourself from those that you share with your spouse. Sign up for a new credit card in your name only. You can also sign up for your own online banking app or money-sharing app and choose unique, secure passwords and security questions that your ex can’t guess.
Social media accounts
You should immediately change the passwords of your social media accounts to prevent your spouse from having access. Of course, if you’re still connected to your spouse on social media, the first thing you should do is unfriend them. Tweaking the settings so that only friends can view your page is important. If you block your ex, they won’t have any access to your social media pages at all.
Be smart during the divorce about what you post. Even if your spouse can’t see your page, your posts can be used against you during a divorce. The best thing is to avoid posting anything related to your divorce at all.
Shared streaming services
Some people completely separate their streaming service accounts from their ex after a divorce. Others choose to allow their ex to continue accessing Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and other services. Depending on the circumstances, you can choose either route. If your split was amicable, you might continue sharing the services and the bills for them.
Protecting your accounts is always important. When you divorce, you’ll want to take these extra steps.