Fighting for Child Custody against a Narcissist

If you are in a custody dispute with a narcissist, you may be facing emotional manipulation, character assassination, and outright lies. A narcissist may be willing to spend every dime they have to win, even at the expense of your children. Despite the negative tactics your ex may employ, you need to remain focused on doing what is best for your children.

Being proactive and adhering to specific strategies throughout the litigation process may increase your chance of successfully gaining custody. Let one of our empathetic attorneys help you fight for child custody against a narcissist.

Document Everything

When dealing with a narcissist in a Georgia custody battle, it is essential to be organized. Since narcissists can be charming and persuasive to strangers, it is necessary to document everything that evidences their obstructionist behavior, including threatening emails, verbally abusive text messages, or inappropriate social media activity. This information may help a judge determine whether the parents can effectively communicate about their children and, if not, which parent is more capable of being the primary decision-maker.

Presenting Evidence

Without substantial evidence, a judge in a local custody dispute may not accept one parent’s claim that the other’s narcissistic behavior endangers their children. Any proof of the narcissistic parent’s inability to put your children’s needs first may be presented in court.

This can include showing up late for visitation, failing to attend a child’s activities, or using a child to relay inappropriate messages to the other parent. A narcissistic parent’s substance abuse, domestic violence, criminal behavior, or untreated mental illness are also factors that a judge will consider when awarding custody.

Just as it is crucial to present evidence of the narcissistic parent’s malicious behavior, it is equally important to demonstrate that you are physically, mentally, and financially capable of raising your children. Focusing on your positive parenting attributes and staying away from the narcissist’s destructive tactics could show a judge that you are able to prioritize your children’s needs over emotional impulses.

Sticking to Boundaries

Setting clear boundaries may prevent a narcissist from gaining the upper hand in custody disputes. Establishing specific times and places for visitation, developing a protocol for relaying information about the children, and requiring that all communications be in writing are examples of effective boundaries in a local custody battle with a narcissist. If the narcissistic parent cannot respect these limits, their behavior should be documented and presented in Georgia family court.

Keep the Children out of the Dispute

If you are battling a narcissist for child custody, you should avoid exposing your kids to your interactions with their other parent. If that is not possible, you should disengage from any inflammatory communication with the narcissist in your children’s presence.

In their ongoing need for control, a narcissist may coach a child on what to say to a custody evaluator or encourage the child to lie about their other parent. A court may not look favorably on a parent who engages in this type of behavior.

Let a Lawyer Assist with Fighting for Child Custody against a Narcissist

In a custody dispute with a narcissist, your children’s health, safety, and well-being are at stake. If the narcissist cannot put your children’s needs ahead of their own, losing custody to them could harm your children’s development.

Narcissists are skilled at masking their real personality, and many people are not familiar enough with this personality disorder to identify its damaging consequences on a child. Custody evaluators, law enforcement, and even judges may be unable to discern the truth from a narcissist’s lies.

A lawyer experienced in family law cases involving narcissists knows how to ‘push the right buttons’ and get a narcissist to expose their true self. Our team can work with you to develop a strategy for successfully fighting against a narcissistic parent to obtain child custody rights, so call us today.