The Wright Firm's Weblog

Social Media “Unfriend”-ly to Kids’ Grades!

Most of us are already well aware of the highly distracting nature of Facebook, Twitter and other social media, but did you know that all this tech distraction could actually be causing your children to earn lower grades?  A recent study of middle school, high school, and college students has found that those students who checked Facebook at least once during a fifteen minute study period got lower grades.  Other studies have shown that student who are active social media users were less physically healthy, more prone to depression and had narcissistic tendencies as well as other psychological disorders. (It should be noted that the study could not confirm whether Facebook and similar sites merely attracted narcissistic individuals or actually created the narcissism.)

The findings were announced at American Psychological Association annual convention by Professor Larry Rosen.  Rosen remarked about a research assessment in which student were observed studying for 15minutes, “What we found was mind-boggling. About every 3 minutes, they are off-task.  You’d think…knowing that someone is observing you, that [the students] would be more on task.”

Parents, what do you think?  Have you noticed any depletion in your child’s attention span or lower grades when your child is permitted to use Facebook?

Social Media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Google+ are becoming more and more important in Family Law cases.  Family attorneys can use these sites as a gold mine of information both about the parents’ activity as well as a child’s.

If you need assistance with a Family Law case, give The Wright Firm a call at (972) 353-4600 or check us out on the web at www.thewrightlawyers.com!

See the full article here:  http://healthland.time.com/2011/08/08/kids-who-hang-out-on-facebook-do-worse-in-school/

 

A Sex Scandal Without the Sex!

Much ado has been made recently about U. S. Rep. Anthony Weiner sending sexually explicit messages and images via the internet to various women.  While there is a long-running tradition of sex scandals among American politicians, the quirk in Rep. Weiner’s story is that – as far as anyone is acknowledging – there has been no actual sex involved.  This is the “sex scandal” for the Age of Facebook and Twitter.

Weiner is not alone.  A May 2010 study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, 15% of adults reported that they had received a sexually suggestive nude or nearly nude photo or video on their cell phones.  6% admitted to having sent such messages.  Of adults in the 18-to-29 age bracket, 31% stated that they had received and 13% that they had sent sexually explicit messages.

But, is an internet- or cell phone-based “affair” really cheating?  Under Texas law, it does NOT meet the definition of adultery.  To qualify as “adultery” there must be voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone who is not the spouse of that person.  That doesn’t necessarily mean, however that your spouse won’t see a cyber affair as cheating.  The Associate Press reports in the wake of the Weiner debacle, that many Americans have stated via online postings and phone interviews that the emotional betrayal is just as bad as a physical betrayal.  As a divorce attorney, I can personally attest to the increasing role Facebook and other social media are playing in my clients’ cases.

The Bottom Line:  If you wouldn’t tweet it, post it or text it with your spouse looking over your shoulder, there’s a good chance your spouse will think it’s cheating.

For information on Texas law contact The Wright Firm, L.L.P. at 972-353-4600 or visit us on the web at www.thewrightlawyers.com 

See Yahoo News article here:  http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110607/ap_on_re_us/us_weiner_is_sexting_cheating

See MSNBC article here:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43365868/ns/politics-capitol_hill/

 

Settling the Score: Mediated Settlement Agreements

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled that the Winklevoss brothers cannot back out of the settlement agreement they reached with Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook.  The drama between these warring parties is Oscar-Caliber – quite literally.  The film “The Social Network based on the creation story of facebook and the controversy over who really invented it was nominated for Best Picture!

So what if YOU have entered into a settlement agreement in your family law case and now you want out?  Well, the bad news is, that’s pretty hard to do! The Texas Family Code says that a Mediated Settlement Agreement (“MSA”) is binding and either of the parties are entitled to a judgment on that agreement if the MSA meets 3 requirements.  These requirements are:

(1)    That the agreement provides, in a prominently displayed statement that is in boldfaced type or capital letters or underlined, that the agreement is not subject to revocation;

(2)    That the agreement is signed by each party to the agreement;  and

(3)    That the agreement is signed by the party's attorney, if any, who is present at the time the agreement is signed.

If your MSA meets these requirements, odds are you’re stuck! There are a few exceptions to this, however.  One exception is that the Judge can decline to enter judgment based on an MSA IF:

(1)    a party to the agreement was a victim of family violence, and that circumstance impaired the party's ability to make decisions; and

(2)    the agreement is not in the child's best interest.

The best thing you can do if you have questions about mediation or mediated settlement agreements is to contact a licensed attorney.  The Wright Firm would be happy to help you with your questions!  Call us today at (972) 353-4600 or check us out on the web at www.thewrightlawyers.com!

Original article about the Winklevoss case here: http://money.cnn.com/2011/04/11/technology/winklevoss_facebook_lawsuit/index.htm 

 

This Site is a public resource for general information about The Wright Firm, L.L.P. and Texas Law.  Nothing in this Site should be construed by you as a source of legal advice. You should not rely or act upon the contents of this Site without seeking advice from your own attorney. Use and access to this Site or any materials or information provided on this Site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and The Wright Firm, L.L.P. or any of its attorneys,  nor is this Site a substitute for legal advice. Any information submitted by you by The Wright Firm, L.L.P. or its attorneys via this Site, an email, or any form of social media communication will not be considered an attorney-client communication or otherwise be treated as confidential or privileged in the absence of an executed Engagement Agreement between you and The Wright Firm, L.L.P. or its attorneys.

 

 

An Old Flame: Get Ready to Pounce!

We’ve all done it, or at least thought about it.  At some point in your life there has been a person for whom you waited on pins and needles until he/she was single again so you could pounce.  Well, now Facebook is ready to assist!

A new Facebook app allows users to track the relationship status of selected friends.  If a friend on your watch list changes his relationship status, you are sent an email notification.  It’s admittedly a bit stalker-ish, but techno bloggers expect the app to be “hugely popular”. 

Have you been waiting for your college or high school flame to get divorced?  As long as he or she is one of your Facebook friends, you can now be the first to know when it happens.  And of course, nothing is real until it is posted on Facebook…

Speaking of divorce, if you are interested in a divorce of your own (hey, maybe that old college flame is waiting for YOU), call The Wright Firm at (972) 353-4600 or check us out on the web at www.thewrightlawyers.com.

This Site is a public resource for general information about The Wright Firm, L.L.P. and Texas Law.  Nothing in this Site should be construed by you as a source of legal advice. You should not rely or act upon the contents of this Site without seeking advice from your own attorney. Use and access to this Site or any materials or information provided on this Site does not create an attorney-client relationship between you and The Wright Firm, L.L.P. or any of its attorneys,  nor is this Site a substitute for legal advice. Any information submitted by you by The Wright Firm, L.L.P. or its attorneys via this Site, an email, or any form of social media communication will not be considered an attorney-client communication or otherwise be treated as confidential or privileged in the absence of an executed Engagement Agreement between you and The Wright Firm, L.L.P. or its attorneys.

 

Social Media in a Texas Divorce

Your Texas divorce attorney does not “Like” your Facebook profile.   Why? Because anything you post, tweet or tag may be used against you.

It may be tempting while you are going through a divorce or other legal matter to vent your frustrations via social media, but this can be a trap for the unwary.  Even if you “un-friend” the spouse you are divorcing, and set your security preferences to the max, a friend of a friend may share that status or picture you posted.  A screen capture can be worth a thousand words.

If you are reading this thinking “that won’t happen to me” – that’s what one of our opposing parties thought.  Boy was she surprised when her deposition came around and we presented her with a STACK of printouts of photos and wall posts with every innuendo-laden comment between her and her male “friend” highlighted. 

So, take the profile down.  Stop tweeting or posting items to your Facebook page.  It will only be temporary.  As soon as the ink dries on your final order, you can re-friend everyone.  However, even then – be smart about what you post.  If you wouldn’t want your mom/boss/judge/other-authority-figure-whom-you-respect to see it, don’t post it.

If you have questions about divorce in Texas, contact The Wright Firm, L.L.P. at 972-353-4600 or visit us on the web at www.thewrightlawyers.com.