RED ALERT: A Critical Digital Security Warning for Anyone Considering Divorce or Going Through Divorce

By Aaron Bundy

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Divorce

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Last Modified on Oct 16, 2025

Going through a divorce is one of life’s most stressful and emotionally draining experiences. Your focus is on your family, your finances, and your future. Amid this turmoil, there is a critical, often-overlooked threat that can severely damage your case before it even begins: your digital life.

In a marriage, it’s normal to share everything—computers, tablets, passwords, and even email accounts. But the moment a separation is on the horizon, these points of connection become profound vulnerabilities. Your spouse, now legally an opponent or adversary, may have direct access to your most confidential communications, including emails with your divorce attorney.

This is a catastrophe that can lead to the waiver of attorney-client privilege, exposing your entire legal strategy. Taking immediate action to secure your digital world is not just a good idea—it is an essential first step in protecting yourself and your case.

Your 3-Step Digital Security Action Plan: Do This Immediately

Think of this as changing the locks on your house. It’s a non-negotiable security measure you must take to protect your legal and personal interests.

Step 1: Lock Down All Your Existing Accounts

This is your immediate line of defense. You must assume your spouse knows, or can guess, your current passwords.

• Change Your Passwords NOW: Change the password on every single one of your online accounts. This includes all personal and work emails, social media (Facebook, Instagram, etc.), online banking portals, and cloud storage (Google Drive, iCloud).¹
• Create Strong, Unguessable Passwords: A weak new password is as bad as no change at all. Follow these rules :
  • Make it Long: Aim for at least 14-16 characters.
  • Make it Complex: Use a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols (!, @, #, $).
  • Make it Unique: Never reuse passwords across different websites. A breach on one site could expose your other, more sensitive accounts. A great method is to create a “passphrase” of four or more unrelated words, like “HorsePurpleHatRunBay” (do not use this as your password)

Step 2: Perform a “Digital Eviction”

Performing a “Digital Eviction” is a critical step because simply changing your password often isn’t enough to secure your account. Many services use saved “session tokens” that can keep an account logged in on a device, like a shared family computer or tablet, even after the password has been updated. To completely sever this lingering access, you must manually go into your account’s security settings and terminate every active session on all devices you do not currently control. For a Google account, this involves navigating to the “Security” section, selecting “Your devices,” and then clicking “Manage all devices” to review and sign out of each session individually. For Microsoft or Outlook accounts, you can find a “Sign me out” or “Sign out everywhere” option under “Advanced security options,” though be aware this process can take up to 24 hours to fully complete. Similarly, services like Yahoo require you to visit the “Recent activity” page and sign out of each device one by one. This deliberate action is the only way to ensure all digital back doors are closed and that no unauthorized access remains.

Step 3: Activate Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Think of 2FA as a digital deadbolt on your account’s front door. It is one of the most powerful security tools available to you.

• What is 2FA? It’s an extra security layer that requires two forms of proof to log in: something you know (your password) and something you have (your phone).
• How it Protects You: When 2FA is active, even if your spouse steals or guesses your password, they will be stopped from logging in because they won’t have the second piece of evidence—like a temporary code sent to your phone or an approval prompt from an authenticator app.
• Enable it Everywhere: You should activate 2FA on your new legal email account and all of your other sensitive accounts, especially for banking and social media. Most services offer it in their security settings, and it is simple to set up.

Take Control Now

The beginning of a divorce or custody case is a critical time. By taking these proactive digital security steps, you are not just protecting your privacy—you are actively protecting your legal rights and the integrity of your case. Do not wait. Secure your accounts today.