Divorces can be quite contentious for many Minnesota couples. Despite the stress, most couples are able to remain cordial to their exes and swap physical custody in accordance with a visitation schedule. It’s not uncommon, though, for some exes to harbor ill will toward each other and project that onto their children. This can lead to parenting disputes that can cause complications. Read on to learn more about why parents should attempt to keep the peace and avoid taking matters into their own hands when they have disagreements about child custody.
After a divorce, parents are usually granted visitation rights regardless of whether or not they keep current with child support payments or whether or not one parent wants the other parent to have contact with the child. This can cause the custodial parent to hold a grudge against the other parent, which means that custody swaps can be rife with tension. In some cases, there is yelling and name-calling. There may be pushing, shoving and other physical violence. Sadly, some custody swaps have ended in death due to shootings caused by extreme anger.
It’s not in the best interests of the child to get angry over visitation rights and scheduling. Children deserve to have two parents who are mature enough to work out their problems without resorting to violence. These situations often backfire and make matters worse.
Child custody disagreements should be handled in a civil manner – either with the other parent or with the help of an attorney. Although situations can be complicated, turning to violence won’t help a situation. In fact, it will only make things worse and could cause a parent to lose custody altogether.
Source: FindLaw, “Child Custody Exchange,” accessed April 18, 2015
