Passwords

If your marriage, cohabiting or dating relationship ends, take a moment to change your passwords.

Quite often your partner will know the passwords for your email, social media, cell phone, Google, iTunes, streaming, shopping and any number of sites. 

If they don't know your passwords, they may be able to guess if you use names or birthdays your spouse knows.

Email is a particular concern when you hire a lawyer and begin corresponding with us in that way. Your former partner having access to all that confidential correspondence should be a huge worry. 

It's a good idea to set up a new email account, one that is not known to your partner, for correspondence with your lawyer.

If you've shared your PIN and/or password for your bank accounts, credit cards, Pay Pal, utilities, loans, tax or payroll accounts (or left them available to those looking for it), make sure you change those as well. 

Also pay attention to whether you're signed in to all devices under one Google or iTunes account. More than once I've had clients seeing their former spouse's private messages as a result of syncing. And worse, the children have also seen those private messages.