Many Florida spouses are aware that there are numerous technological tools that can be used to gather information on another person. Faced with a high asset divorce, it can be tempting to leverage those tools to gather information about the activities of one’s soon-to-be ex. It’s important to work closely with an attorney before attempting any type of tech surveillance, as some efforts could be in violation of the law.
For example, it’s possible to buy small GPS devices that can be hidden in the wheel well of a vehicle. Those devices transmit the location of the driver, creating a literal map of that person’s travels. Cell phones can be outfitted with tracking apps to deliver nearly real-time updates on the owner’s whereabouts. There are even spyware programs that can track each keystroke and screen view on a computer.
There’s no denying that these tools can yield a great deal of information. However, many of them also cross the line into a legal gray area. Certain activities could be interpreted as wiretapping or intercepting electronic communications.
Information gained through illegal measures cannot be used in court, so these efforts are not likely to assist in a high asset divorce. Even more importantly, if a Florida spouse breaks the law by making use of these types of tech tools, criminal charges can result. That does nothing to improve one’s position in court and can actually be used to make an individual appear to lack credibility, which is worth more than gold in a court of law.
Source: npr.org, “I Know Where You’ve Been: Digital Spying And Divorce In The Smartphone Age“, Aarti Shahani, Jan. 4, 2018
