Facebook is rapidly growing in popularity as one of the reasons couples are using to file for divorce in the UK. It has been revealed that it was listed in 33 per cent of behaviour petitions in 2011, a rise of 13 per cent from 2009.

UK divorce website Divorce-Online has carried out a survey of 5,000 petitions from 2011, the same amount as in 2009, and discovered that a third of them cited Facebook, with the most common use being in allegations relating to spouses behaviour with the opposite sex. Additionally, the social networking site is used by spouses to make inappropriate or damaging comments on their public walls about their exes after separation.

The top three reasons for listing Facebook in behaviour petitions include "inappropriate messages to members of the opposite sex", "separated spouses posting comments about each other", and "Facebook friends reporting spouse’s behaviour".

Mark Keenan, spokesman for Divorce-Online, has some sage advice for couples undertaking divorce proceedings, especially when it involves the custody of minors: "People need to be careful what they put on Facebook as the courts are now seeing a lot more evidence being introduced from people's walls and posts in disputes over finances and children."

It's also worth pointing out that Twitter was only mentioned in 20 petitions out of the 5,000 (0.4 per cent).

Pic: s_falkow