The anonymity of the internet has made it incredibly easy to talk trash about someone. That trash talk can have serious consequences. People can lose their job or relationships as a result of a lie.

So what do you do when you are being targeted by someone on the internet?

What Are My Rights? If someone is talking trash about you online you definitely have rights. Although the Untied States takes free speech seriously, there are limits. The biggest limit on free speech is a type of lawsuit known as defamation. Defamation is generally either the intentional posting or sharing with other people of false statements about another person. If someone is defaming you online, you may have the option of filing a lawsuit to stop it. But you have to be careful and make sure its actually defamation or you open a different can of worms.

What is Defamation? As stated above, defamation is when someone intentionally shares false information about you to a third party. Defamation can be split up into libel and slander. There are many different types of defamatory statements out there. The type of statements being made usually depend on the relationship between the person making the statements and the person the statements are about.

People in a romantic relationship will sometimes spread lies about infidelity or how they are being treated in the relationship. These kinds of lies can cause people to lose friends or business opportunities.

Business partners will sometimes spread lies about the quality of your work. This might be to gain a competitive advantage and to pull some of your clients aware.

Either way, if someone is intentionally spreading lies about you then you may have a claim of defamation.

How Do I Sue For Defamation? Defamation is a civil lawsuit. It is typically initiated by filing a document known as a complaint with the court. There are different rules depending on how much damage you have suffered and where everyone lives.

The Complaint will usually detail a few things including a) the identity of the person making the false statements, b) what statements are being identified as false, and c) how those false statements have harmed you. In order to be successful in a defamation lawsuit, you need solid evidence proving who was making the lies, that they were in fact lies, and that you have financially suffered as a result. The Court can go so far as to order someone posting lies to take the defamatory statements down.

If you are the victim of defamation please reach out to our office and we would be happy to discuss your rights.