Custody & Kidnapping

In some situations, when one parent is bad-mouthing the other to the child or to the other parent, it may be possible to return to court to modify the custody order to include a clause that says that the parents shall not speak negatively about each other to the child and shall not speak abusively to each other. Another way to modify the court order can be to ask that all communications take place solely in writing (email, text, etc.) so that there is a record of the conversations and easier to prove abusive or harassing language. Then if one parent violates the order, the other parent may be able to bring him/her to court for the violation and perhaps have him/her held in contempt. Let me clarify that I do not know if this is something that is commonly done in your state or county, or how the judge hearing your case may react to this type of modification request – therefore, talking to a lawyer who specializes in custody may help you think through whether this type of change may be an option or whether there are other changes or ways to try to stop you and your child from being subjected to this behavior. Here is a link for lawyers, some of which are free and or low-cost: LINK