A LIVERPOOL divorce lawyer have warned of the dangers of posting messages on the internet after a British woman launched a six minute rant against her soon to be ex-husband on YouTube.
Former actress and playwright Tricia Walsh-Smith posted a video on the website making a series of very public accusations against her ex, New York theatre magnate Philip Smith.
The YouTube rant is the latest example of how the internet is increasingly being used in bitter relationship battles. In February this year, lawyers warned that the first Facebook divorce was imminent and last month, the co-founder of the online encyclopaedia Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, broke up with his girlfriend via his entry on the website.
Earlier this year, an actress called Jane Slavin got her own back on composer Michael Nyman after he dumped her by creating a honeytrap via the internet.
Paul Barrow, a partner at Liverpool-based Quinn Barrow solicitors, said: “The antics on YouTube are quite astonishing and certainly not advisable while in the midst of legal proceedings.
“If a judge was made aware of such actions then clearly it could affect any settlement.
“As the popularity of websites such as YouTube and Facebook continues we will inevitably see more evidence of this nature featuring in divorce proceedings.
“Flirtatious emails, text messages and video postings could be used as evidence of "unreasonable behaviour" which is a legitimate grounds for divorce.”
In the YouTube video, Mrs Walsh-Smith claims she will receive a £250,000-a-year pension from her multi-millionnaire husband plus their luxury flat in Florida.
She also reveals that a pre-nuptial agreement contained a clause allowing her husband to evict her from the Manhattan flat in 30 days if he had grounds for divorce.