My Co-Parent is Bad Mouthing Me to Our Child: What Can I Do?

Sun 14th November, 2021 Family Law

In most California divorce cases, there is some level of animosity between spouses. These feelings can be amplified when a child is involved in the case, especially when parents do not agree on custody, visitation, or support of that child. Even if there are acrimonious feelings between spouses, those feelings should never be expressed in front of the child, so what are your legal options if you discover that your co-parent is bad mouthing you to your child? At the Law Office of Bradley S. Sandler in Beverly Hills, our experienced divorce lawyer can help. Call or contact the office today to schedule a consultation of your case.

Reasons for Bad Mouthing a Co-Parent

One co-parent may speak poorly of the other in front of their child for many reasons. Some parents just lack the emotional maturity to keep their feelings to themselves in front of their child, or they lack the understanding about the emotional and psychological toll that this bad mouthing can do to a child. When caught in this situation, many children feel uncomfortable, hurt, angry, and confused at one or both parents. It can cause a child to lash out emotionally and cause lasting damage.

In some cases, one parent may be intentionally bad mouthing the other in an attempt to alienate the child from that parent. This behavior is often one parent’s attempt to hurt the other or to win in a custody hearing. This type of bad mouthing can involve telling the child damaging or false information about the other parent, blaming the other parent, criticizing or questioning the judgment of that parent, and challenging the child’s love and loyalty if they still express affection toward the parent being bad mouthed. If you discover that your co-parent is engaging in these behaviors, it is important to know that you have options.

Addressing the Issue

In many cases, having a conversation with the other parent can be enough to quell any bad mouthing happening in front of a child. This can happen one on one between parents or in mediation with the help of an attorney. Many parents do not even realize that they are engaging in this behavior or do not realize the toll that it is taking on their child.

Another option to address the issue is to explicitly state that neither parent is allowed to bad mouth the other in a parenting plan. This can include comments made in front of or to the child as well as on social media or in other settings where the child may become aware of what is said.

The last option is to seek a modification of the child custody agreement in order to limit the time spent between the parent engaging in this behavior and the child. This option is typically reserved for situations where one parent is intentionally bad mouthing the other in an attempt to alienate the child. To learn more, talk to our office now.

Call or Contact Us Today

Do you have more questions about a child custody issue in your California divorce? If so, the Law Office of Bradley S. Sandler is here to help. Call or contact us today to schedule an evaluation of your case now.