More estranged partners are taking their fights online, drawing battle lines with their friends in social media and washing dirty linen in public, said divorce lawyers and counsellors here.
Some cautioned against such a public display of hostility.
Mr John Vasavan, 53, who has been a volunteer relationship counsellor for about 30 years, said: "If a couple continues (dishing dirt) online and don't talk to each other, the relationship becomes even more strained.
"If they speak to each other, they can (at least) still quarrel and argue it out."
In one case, a man noticed his wife was not her usual self and started feeling suspicious.
After checking her mobile phone, email and credit card bills, his worst fear was realised - his wife was having an affair with another man.
Upset and blinded by fury, John (not his real name) vented his anger on his Facebook account and wrote about his wife being unfaithful.
The well-educated couple in their early 30s, who have three children, all under 12, ended up going their separate ways.
In another case, Janice (not her real name) took the war of words with her exhusband over a custody issue to her Facebook account. Friends shared her posts and they soon went viral.
In yet another case, Jenny (not her real name), suspicious of her husband's late nights, put up a Facebook post about how hurt she is. The couple are still in the middle of their dispute.
Divorce lawyers and counsellors say this trend of open hostility is set to continue as more people embrace social media.
Said Mr Gulab Sobhraj, 54, from Crossbows law firm: "It is like being in a virtual boxing ring with spectators watching.
"But the more rational ones will just ignore it... and hope things work out for the couple.
"They (the netizens) won't cheer them on, at least, not in public," said Mr Sobhraj, who specialises in family law.
He said that he has seen more such cases - about four to five - since last year.
Such cases were quite rare in the past two to three years.
He has seen couples using social media to track their spouses' activities, hitting out at each other with allegations and even sharing details of their disputes.
He said that some of the aggrieved parties who post online just want someone to sympathise with them.
There are also those who feel that they can hurt the other party more, especially when their family and friends are connected to each other, he said.
He said: "We usually don't delve further into these and advise our clients to stop doing it as it can have repercussions.
"One's character can be tarnished and there are elements of defamation.
"It can also affect one's reputation and job, especially if one's superior is also linked on Facebook."
Marriage specialist at Focus on the Family Singapore, Ms Sue-Ann Lee, said that the couple's children may also be affected.
She said: "If your child has been witness to your conflict and is aware of your public airing of grievances, this may teach your child that it's okay to be disrespectful to your spouse."
Once a couple have gone public with their disputes, it is usually a one-way ticket to divorce.
Mr Sobhraj said: "In most situations, they do end up ending their relationship."
Mr Vasavan said there has been a marked increase of such cases in the last three to four years.
He said social media provides a platform for people to vent their frustrations and gain attention.
"It may even be a recourse to get answers from the other party," he said.
Dr Danny Ng, a clinical psychologist and the clinical director of Renovare, said it is hard to get objectivity online, where each side will be biased in the comments they pick up.
He said: "(They) will be selective in the advice they see and they tend to listen to what they want to hear."
Embarrassing a spouse online also ends up hurting the ego of the other party, said Mr Vasavan.
He said: "The other party may be asking, why are you washing dirty linen in public? Why don't you speak to me directly?"
And the friends adding fuel to the fire may not have the couple's best interests at heart, he added.
He said: "Many people online are judgmental. If they, such as friends, bring up things they are privy to, they may aggravate it."
Mr Rajan Chettiar, 47, a family lawyer from Rajan Chettiar & Co, said ranting about personal details online is considered unreasonable behaviour.
The best way for warring couples is to seek professional help and to do it privately.
The earlier a couple seeks proper help, the better the chances of reconciliation, said Mr Vasavan.
But there is still hope, said Mr Chettiar.
He said: "If they want to reconcile, nothing will stop them from doing so. "It is a very personal decision that lies in the hands of the two parties."
The number of divorces and annulments here in 2011 was 7,604, up from 7,338 in 2010 and 7,280 the year before, figures from the Department of Statistics showed..
Source: The New Paper