Q: My sons father talks bad about me to my son. It’s not healthy for my kid. What’s the best way to get supervised visits?
Is this reasonable cause to hold my son from his dad. He is currently on child support. We have a decree that we follow at the moment. His dads behavior is causing my son to act out. He’s confused about what he should believe. It unnecessary drama for my son that may traumatize him in the future. I just want him to be a healthy individual and his father doesn’t seem to be helping with his growth.
A:
You need to consult an experienced attorney who practices in the area of family law in or near the county where you live with your son. In my experience, it is usually very difficult to get supervised visitation in the absence of clear evidence of repeated physical abuse or serious neglect of a child.
What your question sounds like is what is sometimes called "parental alienation." These are not easy cases and require expert psychological testimony. Moreover, different judges have different perspectives concerning this particular type of case.
You will want a local attorney who has had recent experience with your judge and who knows lots of other attorneys who regularly practice before your judge. Such an attorney should be able to give you an idea of how best to present this type of case to your judge based on the particular facts of your case. Such an attorney should also know which psychology experts in your area have credibility and are willing to provide testimony on those matters which commonly arise in "parental alienation" cases.
Do not expect this type of case to be cheap.
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