As divorce lawyers we're getting many questions about the Ashley Madison hack and subsequent data dump.  Ashley Madison, as everyone knows by now, is a website for people looking to have an affair.  The hackers, who call themselves the “Impact Team,” have released a vast amount of information that users had thought was strictly private.

They stole it all: Names, email addresses, credit card numbers….

The information made public contains names, email addresses and credit card information, among other things.  Some people are taking this huge amount of data and turning it into searchable databases.  Ultimately, there will be easily usable databases that can be searched for email addresses, names and other personal, in many cases quite embarrassing, information.  All the hacked information be come out, that's for sure.

Massive number of people will be “outed”….

People are understandably concerned.  Of course, people don't want others to know that they are searching for sexual trysts online.  The embarrassment that will be caused by the leaks will be great.  There are email addresses linked to the military, the U.S. State Department, federal courts and judges and many well-known businesses.  The media will undoubtedly try to “out” many famous people.  They will also “out” many local business owners, athletes, politicians, clergy members, teachers and others prominent in the community. 

It's easy for anyone to see if you were an Ashley Madison user….

All someone has to do to discover if another person signed-up for Ashley Madison is to get their email address and plug it into one of the many databases already searchable online.  And as time passes, there will be other easily usable databases that will be available to search for other personal information.  Companies are in a contest to see who can identify Ashley Madison subscribers and which can develop the best databases for locating Ashley Madison users.

People are living in fear….

We're being contacted by men living in fear of their wife or girlfriend finding out that they were Ashley Madison users.  We're also being contacted by people who fear the ramifications if their employers discover that they were searching for online “hook ups.”  And it's worse if it was done on “company time.”  This will certainly cause the end of many careers.  We've heard from men fearful of being blackmailed by business rivals, former romantic partners and even neighbors looking to make a quick-buck off another's misfortune.

Media reports are coming out of men confessing affairs to spouses and even some guys so desperate to not be discovered that they are trying to hire hackers to hack into the databases to cleanse their personal information (by the way, it won't work).

You need to speak with a lawyer ASAP….

If all this sounds terribly bleak, it is.  Divorce attorneys will now comb through websites to try and identify those seeking to have an affair.  Divorce lawyer due-diligence will now include searching for information linking a party to Ashley Madison, and discovery for divorce cases will now include questions about cheating websites.

We are a leading family law and divorce law firm taking the lead in Ashley Madison-related issues.  North Fulton County and the Atlanta Metro Area are loaded with Ashley Madison users.  In fact, according to wide-spread media reports, the Atlanta area has more Ashley Madison users per capita than almost anywhere in the country. 

Call us now!

If you need to talk about how the hack will impact you, your career, your case or a loved, we offer free consultations.  Call us anytime, day or night, at 678-215-4106.  We are here for you. 

Valerie Sherman & Bill Sherman's lengthy experience includes serving as a Magistrate Judge, an Assistant Attorney General and as a Senior Assistant County Attorney. 

When you need an attorney, our team is here for you.