Can You Get in Trouble for Letting a Minor See Your Child Against One Parent's Wishes
Hello. My son's (13 y/o) best friend's divorced parents disagree on their friendship. Both boys are undergoing treatment for depression with different therapists. The therapists agree that their friendship is healthy and good for them to have support from someone who understands what the other is going through. Mom, however, disagrees and thinks my son is a "bad influence", tells me their friendship must end, and sends me nasty emails threatening a restraining order when they have played together outside of school. The boy's father however, has the opposite view, thinks their friendship is wonderful, thinks his ex-wife is selfish, and will drive his son over to my house for them to hang out. My questions are:
does she have any legal recourse against me?
can she get a restraining order against my son and my family?
what should I do?
Thank you.
Re: Mother of Son's Friend Doesn't Want Contact; Dad is Ok with It. Stuck in Middle
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needsome_help
does she have any legal recourse against me?
can she get a restraining order against my son and my family?
I doubt it, but it largely depends on what exactly she means by "bad influence" and possibly the custody arrangement between the friend's parents.
The fact that your son's friend, the friend's dad, and the therapists endorse the contact/friendship with your son significantly outweighs the mother's position. Hence the relevance of what the mother argues to be "bad influence" and whether she can prove it. Generally speaking (regardless of the state), she would have to prove by preponderance of the evidence -or convince the court- that the friend's contact with your son subjects the former to significant risk of harm (physical or otherwise) or by exerting undue influence on the friend.
Re: Mother of Son's Friend Doesn't Want Contact; Dad is Ok with It. Stuck in Middle
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Quoting
needsome_help
Hello. My son's (13 y/o) best friend's divorced parents disagree on their friendship. Both boys are undergoing treatment for depression with different therapists. The therapists agree that their friendship is healthy and good for them to have support from someone who understands what the other is going through. Mom, however, disagrees and thinks my son is a "bad influence", tells me their friendship must end, and sends me nasty emails threatening a restraining order when they have played together outside of school. The boy's father however, has the opposite view, thinks their friendship is wonderful, thinks his ex-wife is selfish, and will drive his son over to my house for them to hang out. My questions are:
does she have any legal recourse against me?
can she get a restraining order against my son and my family?
what should I do?
Thank you.
If dad is willing to allow the children to be friends and hang out on his time, then there is nothing that mom can do about that. She might be temporarily able to get a restraining order, but once a hearing was held it should get dropped.
Re: Mother of Son's Friend Doesn't Want Contact; Dad is Ok with It. Stuck in Middle
Did your sons therapist tell you directly, the friendship was positive? Did the friends therapist tell dad directly the friendship is positive? What are the custody arrangements with the boys parents ? Who has Custody and who has Visitation?
Re: Mother of Son's Friend Doesn't Want Contact; Dad is Ok with It. Stuck in Middle
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Quoting
Mercy&Grace
Did your sons therapist tell you directly, the friendship was positive? Did the friends therapist tell dad directly the friendship is positive? What are the custody arrangements with the boys parents ? Who has Custody and who has Visitation?
It doesn't matter. Unless and until the custody order restricts who the child may associate with during parenting time, it falls to each parent's discretion.
A court is not going to issue a restraining order against a parent or child based upon contact with another child that occurs with the knowledge and consent of the parent who, at the time of the contact, is exercising parenting time. If mom doesn't like it, she needs to seek an order prohibiting the father from permitting the access.
Re: Mother of Son's Friend Doesn't Want Contact; Dad is Ok with It. Stuck in Middle