Below is a short list of social networking mistakes people often make which can impact both divorce settlements (aka $$$) and child custody, and some suggested solutions:

1. “Showing Off”: Posting photos or comments about your latest vacation to Martha’s Vineyard, or the Hermes bag you just got might make you feel good, but it could also color the court’s opinion of your finances, spending habits, etc.

2. “Letting It All Hang Out”: If you are locked in a custody battle, and your lawyer paints you as the “prefers to spend Friday night at home with a good book” type, make sure your soon to be ex can’t refute that image with an endless slideshow of you partying with bottles of tequila/rum/vodka in your hands.

3. “Getting Tagged”: While taking down the party photos you posted yourself, remove the photos your friends tagged you in where you’re passed out in the corner of a bar drooling all over yourself.

4. “Venting”: While slandering the judge, attorneys, or soon to be ex-spouse on your own or other peoples “pages” is tempting, you’re better off following the “if you don’t have anything nice to say….” adage, since venting may ultimately be used against you.

5. “Cutting Off Everyone At Once”: While natural instinct might be to immediately excommunicate the soon to be ex in-laws and any friend remotely associated with the soon to be ex-spouse, slowly weeding them out may look less suspicious (unless the divorce is already a bloodbath, in which case mass excommunication is A-OK).

And here are a few final warnings, designed to help you get through the divorce process with few bruises, bumps and scars, and the best looking balance sheet possible:

1. “What You Say Can and Will Be Used Against You”: If you aren’t prepared to stand up in court and present/communicate/show it, DON’T put it on Facebook.

2. “Beware of Your Frenemies”: Most divorcing couples’ mutual friends choose or are forced to choose sides at some point. So, if you wouldn’t say it directly to the soon to be ex-spouse, DON’T say it to anyone who might tell them (the “better safe than sorry” strategy).

3. “A Picture May Be Worth Big Bucks”: Don’t let a photo of you on an Aruban beach, groping the half naked “friend” with whom you swore in court you had a STRICTLY platonic relationship, double your alimony payments (or halve them if you’re the alimony “payee”).

4. “Privacy, Privacy, Privacy”: Social networking sites have privacy settings. Find them, learn them, and most importantly USE THEM.

Under allegations of infidelity on both sides, what was already a contentious divorce proceeding turned uglier when TLC fired Jon from the show, renaming it “Kate Plus 8” last month. Jon retaliated by stopping production on the show, halting the family’s main income stream. Both Jon and Kate have accused each other of taking large sums of money from their joint bank account. Every day brings more bad behavior and headlines.

With all this drama going on, what’s going to happen to their eight kids (twins and sextuplets)? Per the separation agreement, the children have remained in the original family home in Pennsylvania, while Jon and Kate have been taking turns staying there when they have their visitation. However, there are signs that the joint-custody arrangement won’t be intact for long. Earlier this month, in an interview with ET, Jon revealed that for the twins’ birthday party, Kate requested that he only be at their home from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. rather than for the entire party. He also alleged that Kate attempted to revise the custody agreement for the following weekend, saying she gave him a schedule.

A judge will do what’s in the best interest of the children and is unlikely to split the children apart unless there’s a very good reason to do so. If Jon and Kate can’t resolve their disputes over joint custody, it’s possible that one of them will be awarded full custody. Since mothers are typically awarded custody, simply being the kids’ mother gives Kate an advantage. To support her case, Kate might look to gather evidence that Jon is behaving inappropriately or recklessly around the children. Another couple might need to hire a private investigator to collect proof of this, but with all the media coverage they receive, it would likely be caught on camera.

Stay tuned for more drama and updates on this case…

Katherine Jackson

Pros: By all accounts, Katherine has a close relationship with her grandchildren and was named their guardian in Michael’s will. She also was awarded temporary guardianship of her grandchildren by a California judge, so the children are currently living with her.

Cons: She is 79 years old, which some may consider too old to raise adolescents and a young child. Her husband, Joe, has long been described by Michael as being emotionally and physically abusive.

Debbie Rowe

Pros: She is the biological mother of the two oldest children, and biological parents usually win custody unless if it is considered “detrimental to the children”.

Cons: She has had minimal contact with her children for nearly a decade and has publicly said she considered them to be Michael’s children, not hers. She has no biological ties to Blanket.

Since the three children have always lived together, a judge is unlikely to split them apart. That eliminates a scenario where Debbie is awarded custody of her biological children and Katherine is awarded custody of Blanket, which would not be in the best interest of the children. Even though Debbie is the biological parent of Prince Michael and Paris, she is practically a stranger to them.

The only shot Debbie has of winning custody is if she is able to prove either that Katherine’s age prevents her from properly taking care of the children or that Joe is physically and/or emotionally abusive, putting the children at risk. She could hire a private investigator to gather this evidence through surveillance or background research. Barring that, I think Katherine will be awarded custody of all three children.