Pokemon GONO?!?! Could A Smart Phone Application Lead To The Break Up Of A Marriage In Pittsburgh?

Like much of the rest of the United States, our Pittsburgh office has been dominated by talk of the sensational, Pokemon Go App, which has become more popular than apps such as Tinder and Twitter in recent days. Reports have been flying around the internet about this app’s social benefits including the fact that it makes people more social and physically fit because it makes them get out of the house and travel around their local area trying to catch them all.

However, recently, reports have hit our office indicating that Pokemon Go is beginning to harm relationships as well, One of the most interesting and innovative aspects of the app is its uses of a phone’s mapping software to help users track and catch Pokemon. However, this means that the app also contains a record of all of the locations the user has traveled to seeking Pokemon. This only becomes a problem when someone has been somewhere they shouldn’t (their ex’s neighborhood for example). If you read our blogs often, you will note that in our recent social media series, we stated that although hacking into personal cell phones and data violates federal and state laws, this becomes a bit harder to argue when a cell phone is left in a common area of a shared residence and if it is not password protected.

Under Pennsylvania law, adultery can be proven through circumstantial evidence of availability and inclination. This means that that the evidence collected from your phone’s GPS records could be used against you in court if it is obtained legally. Although marital misconduct in the form of adultery will only impact your divorce litigation when it comes to the question of alimony, it might be worth it to consider missing out on catching that Pikachu at your girlfriend’s house if you think your wife might find out.

If you’ve been caught in the act while out catching Pokemon and would like to discuss what actions to take, contact our Pittsburgh office today!