Internet fuels family fallouts

Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter will become the biggest reason for couples divorcing or separating over the festive period, Scottish family lawyers have predicted.

Gibson Kerr believes that the popularity of social media could create a nightmare for couples over the Christmas and New Year period, when relationship tensions traditionally become heightened and the number of couples seeking divorce advice rises.

Fiona Rasmusen, partner at Gibson Kerr, said: “Social media is increasingly becoming a big factor in divorce cases around the UK.

“Whether it’s due to one partner spending too much time on these websites, or using them to flirt with other users or cheat on their partner, sites like Facebook and Twitter are causing high tensions for many couples.

“With so many younger people in their twenties and thirties using social networking sites on computers and mobile phones, it’s never been easier to connect with the virtual world.

“But the by-product of spending all your time on Facebook or Twitter is that it puts a strain on your own relationship – especially if one partner is using these sites to send sexually suggestive messages.”