New Jersey parents who are going through a divorce may be interested to learn that a Michigan father filed for full custody of his three children on July 15 after they refused to see him. According to the report of the incident, this was after the judge ordered the three children to juvenile detention due to the refusal.
In the motion, the father claimed that the mother was keeping his kids, ages 9, 10 and 14, from seeing him. He also requested that she undergo a psychological evaluation as she was not mentally fit to care for the children. Additionally, the motion seeks to only allow her to have supervised visitation when she was mentally capable.
In June, a judge punished the three children after they refused to visit with their father to build a healthy relationship with him. Initially they were sent to juvenile detention but were later transferred to a summer camp when the case gained attention. According to one of the mother’s former divorce attorneys, it can be difficult for the other parent to seek custody, especially when the kids’ preferences are taken into account.
In child custody cases, it is not uncommon to have one parent turn the children against the other parent in order to gain an advantage in court. However, a child’s refusal to have a relationship with the other parent could be the result of that parent’s behavior. If the children were alienated by the other parent, an attorney may provide evidence so that the alienated parent can potentially have the opportunity to foster a healthy relationship without interference from the alienating parent.
Source: Yahoo, “Dad Battling for Custody of Kids Who Were Locked Up for Refusing to See Him“, Beth Greenfield, July 17, 2015
