Sean Valentine: Should You Post About Your Case on Social Media?

A judge rolling their eyes at a screenshot is, according to Sean Valentine, the good outcome. The bad ones range from a cease-and-desist order to a finding of contempt. That is what can happen when you post about your active case on social media.Sean Valentine is a Canadian family law attorney who has represented clients across a range of family matters, with a particular soft spot for helping self-represented litigants feel confident in court. His view on sharing your story publicly while a case is open is unambiguous: don't.In this conversation, Sean lays out the concrete risks. Posting can inadvertently waive solicitor-client privilege. It creates a permanent, screenshottable record that the other side's lawyer can file. And a judge who has told you to stop can escalate to contempt, with penalties from fines to a struck pleading. He and Lisa also get into surreptitious recording, the secret audio people capture hoping for a gotcha, and why courts tend to give it little weight, along with why a "private" Facebook group is not private at all.Sean talks through what to weigh before publishing a book about your experience once a case has ended, why a genuine support group beats venting into a feed, and why you cannot let the fear of being sued keep you from raising real issues of abuse and coercive control with your lawyer. His throughline: do not give the other side anything they can sink their talons into.As always, this is strategic education, not legal or mental-health advice for your specific situation.🎓 What you'll learnWhy posting about an active case can waive solicitor-client privilege and build a paper trail against youWhat a judge can actually do about it, from a cease-and-desist to contemptWhy secret recordings usually carry little weight and make you look badWhy a "private" Facebook group offers no real privacyWhat to weigh before publishing a book about your experience once the case is overWhy a real support group beats venting into a public feedHow to keep from handing the other side anything they can use⏱️ Chapters 0:00 Intro 1:00 The topic: sharing your story while your case is active 3:00 Gag orders and publication bans, and how common they are 5:00 How posting can waive privilege and build a paper trail 7:00 The consequences: from eye rolls to contempt 11:00 Secret recordings, and why judges give them little weight 15:00 Why a "private" Facebook group isn't private 17:00 Support groups vs. venting, and writing a book after it's over 21:00 After the case: defamation threats, and not living in fear of a lawsuitKeep going 💜 Book a free 30-minute discovery call and we'll help you map your next steps: https://beentheregotout.com/call 📘 Been There Got Out: Toxic Relationships, High-Conflict Divorce, and How to Stay Sane Under Insane Circumstances — https://www.amazon.com/dp/194627495X 📘 Been There Got Out: When Your Ex Turns the Kids Against You (our parental-alienation book) — https://www.amazon.com/dp/1967674183 🔗 Sean Valentine at OV Family Law: https://ovfamilylaw.com/ 🔗 Sean Valentine, co-founder of I Do Prenup: https://idoprenup.com/About Been There Got Out Chris Barry and Lisa Johnson are high-conflict divorce, custody, and co-parenting strategists, and the founders of Been There Got Out. They know these cases from the inside: both have successfully represented themselves in family court. Few attorneys have a playbook for a case like this — Chris and Lisa write yours with you, so you and your kids can get through it as unscathed as possible.