| When it comes to playing dirty the worst trick in the | | | | be reported to Child Protective Services (CPS). Failure |
| book is to falsely accuse someone of a crime against | | | | of the other parent to report it prior to a custody |
| their own child. It will make your blood boil and take | | | | battle can help prove the lack of a history. |
| you completely off of your child custody strategy. It | | | | One of the best things that can happen to you, if |
| creates the worst possible relationship between | | | | you are falsely accused, is to have CPS investigate |
| parents. It takes a special brand of "evil" to do that | | | | the claim. Yes, it is a good thing. These are |
| to a child. | | | | professionals that can identify and separate real |
| Make no mistake, falsely accusing a parent of abuse | | | | claims from false. If you find yourself talking to CPS |
| is a crime against the child because it is ultimately the | | | | out of the blue, the first thing you should say is, "did |
| child who will pay the price of having parents at each | | | | the other parent mention that we are in the middle |
| other's throats instead of having them cooperate for | | | | of a custody battle?". This gives them an immediate |
| their benefit. In fact in some states (including | | | | reason to draw a conclusion in your favor. Once they |
| California) if one parent falsely accuses the other | | | | have concluded that there is no basis you can now |
| parent of abuse, it is considered grounds to have | | | | boast about it. |
| custody terminated. | | | | If the accusation is made in mediation or with an |
| It is helpful to first define what Mental Abuse is. | | | | evaluator the question you need to ask is, "If this is |
| Mental Abuse is defined as belittling, humiliating, name | | | | true, why didn't they call CPS?". The mediator or |
| calling, shaming, making negative comparisons, yelling, | | | | evaluator can then conclude that they didn't call |
| threatening, bullying, exposing to inappropriate | | | | because it wasn't true. |
| behaviors or situations. | | | | Keep in mind that there is a history with abuse. If |
| Having the definition is one of the best tool you can | | | | you have correspondence from the other parent |
| have to not only survive this accusation but to | | | | about, daycare, child support, expenses, and stuff, |
| defeat it. In order to turn this around it is helpful to | | | | then why wasn't there ever a message about |
| know that Mental Abuse is typically learned and is | | | | abuse? The answer is, "because there wasn't any". |
| lifelong. It does not just pop up one day. In short it is | | | | I understand that this is an extremely ugly allegation |
| the type of thing that has a history. Like other forms | | | | to have made against you, but if you are smart, in |
| of abuse, if it is a serious accusation, then it should | | | | the long run it can work for you an against them. |