Popular social networking site Facebook is being blamed for a growing number of marriage splits in the UK, as love rats are caught flirting online.

According to family lawyers in Britain, flirtations on the Web site are now becoming a major factor in breakdowns, and the problem has become so great that almost every divorce they have dealt with in the past year has involved the Web site.

Emma Patel of Hart Scales & Hodges Solicitors in Dorking, Surrey, said Facebook acted like a “virtual third party” in splits in Britian.

“Facebook is being blamed for an increasing number of marital breakdowns, and it is quite remarkable that all the petitions that I have seen here since May have cited Facebook one way or another,” Patel was quoted as saying by the Telegraph .

Patel, the Dorking-based lawyer, said in the past nine months she had dealt with 30 divorce cases and the Web site had been implicated in all the cases.

digital amours

“Its huge popularity as well as the lure of sites like Second Life, Illicit Encounters and Friends Reunited are tempting couples to cheat on each other,” she said.

“Suspicious spouses have used these to spy and find evidence of flirting and even affairs, which have then led to break-ups.” According to Patel, many divorces came after partners found “flirty messages” on the Facebook wall of their partner — and also “inappropriate suggestive chats” which spouse's can see.

The lawyer said she urged all clients to “stay off” Facebook during divorce proceedings, especially if they post photos of new lovers.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for Facebook said it was “tosh” that Facebook could ruin a relationship. “It is like blaming your mobile phone or your emails.”

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW