No one likes wading through a divorce case, and that includes most people with social media profiles. Be careful, though. In an unexpected twist, one Twitch streamer found out that a divorce not only meant a division of expected assets, like sinks and cars — it also meant online assets as well.
Divorce = Control of Online Channel?
Ara_Gaming was a popular Twitch account. After seeing no posts for several months, the channel was suddenly back — and yet the host had changed, and a new streamer had taken over. Yet Crystal — the new face of the channel — wouldn?t discuss where Ara was, claiming legal reasons.
According to user nanospynet, who claims to be Ara?s ex-husband, he won the channel as part of a lengthy legal divorce proceeding. Part of the divorce agreement was that Ara would not stream for a total of five years, thanks to a non-compete clause. How could this possibly be part of a divorce case?
Apparently, Ara_Gaming LLC was a business filed under both their names — and the channel was given to nanospynet during the proceedings. In a Q and A hosted by nanospynet, he argued that this was ?fair? considering that, prior to the divorce case, Ara had liquidated all the account?s funds in order to prevent him from receiving equal dividends.
The Truth Remains a Mystery
All of these, so far, is just hearsay; there has been no public statement by Ara, Crystal, or the couple?s divorce lawyers substantiating these claims. Many users have questioned whether any of this could happen in a divorce case, considering that Twitch?s terms of Service define the license as ?non-sublicensable? and ?non-transferable? — and yet, it seems to have been transferred. For now, fans of the channel continue to post to Twitter under #aragate with their questions and theories.
What Divorce Attorneys Might Say to “Ara”
Regardless of whether this was truly what happened to Ara_Gaming, family law attorneys can point out some valuable lessons to be learned.
First, the divorce process is a legal one — and this means there are many precedents in place. If you suddenly liquidate a jointly held account, and then file for divorce, the courts are not going to be pleased. In some cases, this has led to the entirety of an asset being handed to the other spouse.
Divorce attorneys would also advise visiting a lawyer before making any assumptions about how the divorce case will go. This can prevent you from making silly mistakes, such as saying things you shouldn?t in public places like Facebook or Twitter — only to have it used against you as evidence in a court of law later on.
About 41% of marriages in the U.S. will end in divorce, whether we like it or not. If you do decide on getting a divorce, make sure you consult with a divorce attorney from day 1.
