How to Save Social Media Posts for a Custody Case
Reviewed by Jacob Reed, founder of Verity ·
Short answer
Capture it the day you see it, because posts are edited and deleted. Take a screenshot that shows the author's name, the date and the whole post with its comments, copy the post's link, and note when and how you saw it. Save posts you can see lawfully; don't log into someone else's account or set up a fake one to get access. And look at your own profile first: the other side will.
A post about a party on a weekend with the kids, or a public rant about the other parent, can matter. So can a post that quietly disappears a week before the hearing.
Capturing a post properly
- Screenshot the whole post: the author's name and picture, the date, the text, photos and comments.
- Copy the post's link (Share, then Copy link) and paste it into your notes with the date you saved it.
- On a computer, open the post and save the page as a PDF as well.
- A long thread of comments takes several screenshots; overlap them so nothing is missed (see screenshotting a long conversation).
- Keep the original files and write down how you saw it: your own account, a friend showing you, a public page.
What not to do
- Don't sign in to the other person's accounts, or guess their password; see reading a co-parent's messages.
- Don't create a fake profile or send a friend request under a false name to see a private page.
- Don't comment, argue or post your side. Your words become part of the record too.
Your own profile counts
Read your posts, photos and comments as the other side would. Don't delete them in a hurry once a case has started; ask your lawyer first (see deleting messages during a case). Tightening who can see future posts is a different matter from removing old ones.
Messages are different from posts
Private messages can be downloaded whole: see exporting Facebook and Instagram messages. Verity reads those downloads in your browser, without uploading them, and numbers every message in date order. It doesn't read public posts or comments, so keep those as the screenshots and links above.
This is general information, not legal advice. Ask your lawyer how social media evidence is handled in your court. If you are in danger, call 911.
Have their messages too?
Drop in a message download and read every message numbered in date order. It is read in your browser and is not uploaded.