By Ian Bush

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Facebook knows a lot about you. That’s the reason a local legal expert says shut it down, along with your other social media accounts, if you’re about to dive into a divorce or custody battle.

From venting about your ex, which “can show them to be an unfit parent, depending on what they’re saying;” to checking in on Foursquare by “an ex-spouse that says I can’t afford to pay child support or alimony, and then we’re finding out that they’re eating at the Capital Grill every week,” it can be used against you in court says Christian Badali, a partner in the family law group at Weber Gallagher in Norristown.

“Close your Facebook account if you can, but most people aren’t willing to do that. So realistically, go through your friends and weed them out, get rid of as many of the people who you’re not sure they are. And make sure your privacy settings are tight,” says Badali.

That goes for Twitter and other social networks, too. And change your passwords to something your former flame won’t guess, so he or she can’t post in your name or read private messages.