Eighty-one per cent of US divorce attorneys have seen an increase in the number of cases of sundered marriages citing evidence gleaned from social networking sites.

Facebook proves the biggest source of evidence, with 66 per cent of uncoupling couples citing it as 'a primary source', according to the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. MySpace follows with 15 per cent citation, then Twitter at 5 per cent, and other social media sites listed totalling 14 per cent.

The Guardian reports that self-published personal information on social nets has also become a primary source of evidence in custody battles.

"We're coming across it more and more. One spouse connects online with someone they knew from school. The person is emotionally available, and they start communicating through Facebook," says clinical psychologist and marriage counsellor at Loyola University Medical Centre Dr Steven Kimmons.

Another source of marital discord is users posing as singletons in order to attract illicit romantic interest.

Stateside lawyers now demanding to see their clients' Facebook pages as a matter of course before the start of proceedings, the story claims.