Disparaging The Other Parent Hurts Your Child And Your Florida Child Custody Case

Rosalind Sedacca, a divorce and parenting coach and author, writes about why parents should not bash one another in front of their children:

When you put down their other parent, your children are likely to interpret it as a put-down of part of them. When both parents are guilty of this behavior, it can create a great confusion along with a sense of unworthiness and low self-esteem. “Something’s wrong with me” becomes the child’s unconscious belief.

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The lesson here is simple. Destructive comments about your ex can impact your children in many negative ways. It creates anxiety and insecurity. It raises their level of fear. It makes them question how much they can trust you and your opinions — or trust themselves. And it adds a level of unhappiness into their lives that they do not need or deserve.

In addition to hurting your child, disparaging the other parent can hurt your Florida child custody case.  Section 61.13, Florida Statutes, lays out twenty factors to help a judge determine a child’s best interest when ordering custody arrangements, including the following pertinent factors:

• The demonstrated capacity and disposition of each parent to facilitate and encourage a close and continuing parent-child relationship, to honor the time-sharing schedule, and to be reasonable when changes are required;
• The demonstrated capacity and disposition of each parent to determine, consider, and act upon the needs of the child as opposed to the needs or desires of the parent;
• The demonstrated capacity of each parent to communicate with and keep the other parent informed of issues and activities regarding the minor child, and the willingness of each parent to adopt a unified front on all major issues when dealing with the child; and
• The capacity and disposition of each parent to protect the child from the ongoing litigation as demonstrated by not discussing the litigation with the child, not sharing documents or electronic media related to the litigation with the child, and refraining from disparaging comments about the other parent to the child.

If you are going through a Florida child custody case, and you are looking to retain a Tampa Bay child custody attorney, contact The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., at (813) 443-0615 or fill out our consultation form.

Adam B. Cordover is a family law attorney, managing shareholder of The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., and publisher of ABC Family Law Blog. To learn more about The Law Firm of Adam B. Cordover, P.A., or to schedule a consultation, call us at 813.443.0615 or visit us online at www.abcfamilylaw.com.

Attorney Adam B. Cordover is admitted to the Florida Bar and the United States District Court, Middle District of Florida. His office is located at 412 East Madison Street, Suite 824, Tampa, Florida 33602.

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