Not every Louisiana couple ending their marriage can do so amicably. In some cases, the circumstances simply do not allow for niceties. Instead, each party prepares for a contested divorce. Some will go to any nearly any length to “get a leg up” on the other party in court regardless of the potential cost.
This may include spying on the other party. Installing a GPS tracker on a jointly owned vehicle may not cross the legal line, but other, more intrusive forms of gathering information. For example, some people may install spyware on a soon-to-be former spouse’s cell phone in order to monitor emails, texts and social media without his or her knowledge.
This type of activity may cross the line legally, but providing a court with proof may be problematic. This is because some people may not be aware of its presence, while others may not want to continue being watched and/or followed in order to have proof. It is often cheaper and less stressful to simply replace a phone. Few cases of this type of illegal activity actually make it to a criminal court, and it appears that fewer serve time for it.
Louisiana residents who discover that the other party has resorted to these sort of tactics may want to consult with an attorney before taking any further action. He or she may provide legal options which they may not have considered. Moreover, if the other party is willing to go to these lengths, getting through a contested divorce could be a challenge and having experienced assistance may prove invaluable.
Source: npr.org, “I Know Where You’ve Been: Digital Spying And Divorce In The Smartphone Age“, Aarti Shahani and Lauren Silverman, Jan. 4, 2018