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Lawyers are being given permission to access the social media accounts of spouses they suspect of hiding assets in order to avoid expensive payouts as a result of a divorce, according to reports. Under such circumstances, legal professionals are able to submit applications for court orders which, if approved, will provide them with the opportunity to gain access to Facebook and Twitter accounts without the defendant’s knowledge. Fraud and asset recovery specialists having informed the Telegraph that such orders are becoming more and more common. It is believed that, by accessing these accounts and reviewing the private exchanges of information contained with them, legal professionals are more likely to be able to determine whether or not the defendant has indeed hidden assets and possibly where they have hidden them. Under English law, an individual’s right to privacy can be foregone when fraud is suspected, meaning that the administrators of the relevant sites are required to provide authorised parties with access to the relevant accounts when such an order has been issued.