CAN YOU RECORD YOUR PARTNER
During a high conflict divorce, there may be a time where your soon-to-be-ex is ranting or threatening you and recording them can come in handy. Not all recordings are going to be admissible in court so ask your lawyer for advice. If your ex is stalking you or harassing you at the child pick up it may help to show the courts exactly what you are dealing with by picking up your phone and recording them. Please note that it is NOT ok to record in some states and you could be getting yourself into trouble if you attempt to use the recordings for anything legal.
If it is legal in your state and you feel that your partner is acting like a madman/woman recording could be a good validation tool. If you are in-person put an app on your phone that can record, turn on the recording device and capture them. If they threaten you this can be brought to the police to aid in getting a restraining order. Remember only if your state allows recording.
Federal law permits recording telephone calls and in-person conversations with the consent of at least one of the parties. This is called a “one-party consent” law. Under a one-party consent law, you can record a phone call or conversation so long as you are a party to the conversation. Furthermore, if you are not a party to the conversation, a “one-party consent” law will allow you to record the conversation or phone call so long as your source consents and has full knowledge that the communication will be recorded.
In addition to federal law, thirty-eight states and the District of Columbia have adopted “one-party consent” laws and permit individuals to record phone calls and conversations to which they are a party or when one party to the communication consents.
Legal to record in these states
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
Colorado
Delaware
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Carolina
North Dakota
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
When do you need to get permission from everyone involved before recording?
Eleven states require the consent of every party to a phone call or conversation in order to make the recording lawful.
Two-party consent laws have been adopted in the following states
This means you must have permission to record in the following states
- California
- Connecticut
- Florida
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Montana
- New Hampshire
- Pennsylvania
- Washington
EXCEPTIONS TO RECORDING LAWS
- Illinois’ two-party consent statute was held unconstitutional in 2014
- Hawai’i is, in general, a one-party state, but requires two-party consent if the recording device is installed in a private place
- Massachusetts bans “secret” recordings rather than requiring explicit consent from all parties
- Although they are referred to as “two-party consent” laws, consent must be obtained from every party to a phone call or conversation if it involves more than two people.
WANT TO DISCREETLY RECORD CONVERSATIONS?
Check this out! I’ve used this pen myself and it works great!
SPYWARE? ARE THEY SPYING ON ME?
Narcissist’s will use any tactic to get ahead including using spyware on your phone or computer without your knowledge. Apps, cameras, microphones and other spy gadgets are extremely accessible now and narcissist’s are known to use them to their advantage. Learn here about others experiences and what resources are available.
Spyware Articles & Support Resources
Source | Resource Name | Link |
---|---|---|
BBC | How to spot the software that could be spying on you | click here |
Computer Weekly | Use of spyware apps linked to domestic abuse soars in lockdown | click here |
Electronic Privacy Information Center | Domestic Violence and Privacy | click here |
Luke's Place | How does he know where I am? Spyware and woman abuse | click here |
MIT Technology Review | How “stalkerware” apps are letting abusive partners spy on their victims | click here |
NY Times | Domestic Abusers Can Control Your Devices. Here’s How to Fight Back. | click here |
Rosen Law Firm | Stop the Abuse: Being Safe with Technology Around Snooping Spouses | click here |
Stalking Resource Center | The FTC Response to Technology Misuse and Abuse Webinar Recording | click here |
Stalking Resource Center | Overview of and Considerations in Federal Stalking Cases Webinar Recording | click here |
Tech Safety | Spyware/ Stalkerware Overview | click here |
Tech Safety | Evidence Collection Tips for Civil Attorneys | click here |
The Guardian | Spyware and smartphones: how abusive men track their partners | click here |
WCNC | Protect yourself from abuse: Remove 'Stalkerware' from your phone now | click here |
WebMD | The New Domestic Violence: Technology Abuse | click here |
Women's Aid | Online and digital abuse | click here |
Women's Law (National Network To End Domestic Violence) | Abuse Using Technology | click here |
Vox | How domestic abusers use smartphones to spy on their partners | click here |