Privacy
Last updated: June 5, 2026
DivorceMaybe is a sensitive site. People here are often going through one of the hardest stretches of their lives, and we treat the information you share with that in mind.
What we collect
- What you give us directly. When you register, we store your email address, password (hashed), display name, and account type. If you fill in a bio, location, or upload a profile picture, we keep those too.
- What you post. Forum threads, replies, and listings are stored as you write them and shown to other visitors. Direct messages are stored so we can deliver them between conversation participants.
- Server logs. Standard web-server logs include your IP address, user agent, and the URLs you request. We use these to defend against abuse and debug problems. Logs roll over on a regular schedule.
What we don't do
- We don't run third-party advertising networks.
- We don't load Google Analytics, Facebook pixels, or similar trackers.
- We don't sell, rent, or share your data with anyone for marketing.
Cookies
DivorceMaybe sets one cookie: a session cookie that keeps you logged in. It is HTTP-only, SameSite=Lax, and (over HTTPS) marked Secure. It is deleted when you log out or it expires (after 7 days of inactivity).
Your browser may also store a small flag in localStorage to remember you've dismissed the cookie banner. That flag never leaves your device.
We email you for transactional reasons only: confirming your address, password resets, and (if you've subscribed to a thread or conversation in the future) notifications. We don't send marketing email.
Public vs. private content
- Public: your display name, profile picture, bio, location, forum threads and replies, and any listings you've posted (once your account is verified, if you're a professional).
- Private: your email address, your password (we never see it
in plaintext — it's hashed with PHP's
password_hash), your direct messages, and your IP address.
Other members can see your forum activity through the threads it's attached to, but we deliberately do not aggregate it onto your public profile.
Verification
Lawyer and counselor accounts are verified by an admin before listings appear in public search. Verification involves checking publicly-listed credentials. We don't publish anything we collect during verification beyond the simple "Verified" badge.
Your choices
- You can edit your display name, bio, location, and profile picture from your profile page at any time.
- You can deactivate any listing you've posted from the listing's edit page.
- You can request deletion of your account by emailing the contact address on the about page. Account deletion removes your private data and anonymises your public posts (we keep the conversation history intact but replace your name with "removed").
Your rights under Canadian privacy law
DivorceMaybe operates in British Columbia and handles your personal information in line with Canada's PIPEDA and B.C.'s PIPA. That means you have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you, and ask us to correct it if it's wrong.
- Withdraw consent and have your account and private data deleted (see "Your choices" above).
- Know why we collect what we collect — we only collect what's needed to run the directory, forum, and messaging, and nothing for advertising.
- Complain to us first, and then to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or the B.C. Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner if you're not satisfied.
We collect only with your consent, use it only for the purposes described here, and keep it only as long as your account is active or as the law requires. We don't transfer your data outside Canada for marketing, and we run no third-party trackers.
Reach us
Questions, concerns, requests? Use the contact form. We try to respond within a few business days.
This page is plain-language guidance, not a contract. The Terms of Service govern your use of the site.