A study done five years ago showed that stalking is much more prevalent than what many may think. Figures indicated that 1.5 percent of Unites States adults have been victims of stalkers. The statistics drastically increase to 3.3 percent for divorced or separated people. While this is not a new phenomenon, cheap electronic gadgets and apps on cellphones make it very easy to keep tabs on someone.
New Jersey divorcees should take cognizance of the fact that their ex, or soon to be ex, may be keeping tabs on them without their knowledge. Couples are able to spy on one another by using GPS trackers and/or spyware on phones and computers. According to divorce lawyers, many people use these devices to keep control or find evidence needed for their divorce.
What makes the matter even trickier is the fact the legality of digital tracking is not always clear. For instance, if a car is jointly owned by both spouses, but mainly used by one person, a court may consider it legal for the other person to place a tracker into the car. However, installing spyware on an adult’s phone without his or her knowledge is illegal.
One of the biggest problems with digital stalking is to have the proof needed for an investigation, and often, people have to rely on private investigators to uncover such evidence. New Jersey divorcees who suspect that they may be tracked or stalked by an ex may benefit from discussing the matter with their divorce lawyer. The lawyer will likely have knowledge of such situations and, thus, be in the best position to provide advice on how to deal with the problem..
Source: www.npr.org, “I Know Where You’ve Been: Digital Spying And Divorce In The Smartphone Age“, Aarti Shahani and Lauren Silverman, Jan. 4, 2018