Divorce can bring out the worst in people. It can make the kindest, sweetest human beings into some of the angriest and most vindictive creatures imaginable. Some of this is justified. After all, when your heart is broken because your beloved decided they no longer love you enough to share your life (or worse – they cheated on you) it can bring out some of our inner ‘scary’. But there’s a huge difference between being angry and hurt, and being manipulating and intentionally dishonest.
This unpleasant aspect of divorce tends to rear its ugly head during custody battles. Parents who want a better custody agreement (usually to get a larger child support payment) sometimes misrepresent their spouse in order to skew events in their favor. However, regardless of what the motivation may be, accusing someone of child abuse or neglect is very serious! And the unintended consequences may be devastating!
You never know which people will resort to this terrible tactic!
Although this kind of deviousness and manipulation can be expected from someone suffering from narcissistic personality disorder, the truth is that almost anyone is capable of resorting to underhanded methods when they’re angry and feeling vengeful. In fact, we’ve had many clients over the years tell us that they can’t believe their spouse would do this to them. “She was never like this when we were married!” And “It’s like I don’t even know him anymore!”
So is your spouse the kind of person who would push you under the bus for a few extra bucks? Would they lie about you to engineer a situation in their favor? Or make false accusations in order to earn sympathy? Are they likely to do it because they want to secure custody in order to get a larger child support settlement. Or do they just want to “get back at you” for the pain they think you caused them during the marriage. Either way, if you suspect that’s the case, you need to be prepared.
If your spouse lies about you, some people will believe them!
False allegations of abuse are serious! Why? Because in most cases, when someone accuses someone else of abusing a child, other people pay attention. And they tend to side with the victim. Which means that until you can prove that you were innocent all along, there are going to be people who will think the worst of you! It’s terrible, but it’s true.
Think about it. How many times have you read a news story about a parent accused of abusing their child? Probably quite often. How many times did you assume that what you read was true, simply because you read it in the news? Most of the time? All of the time? The truth is, that’s what most people do. They assume that because it’s being reported, it must be true. Which leads them to assume that the accused is definitely guilty, and must be a terrible person. And the consequences of a “conviction in the press” can be just as terrible as an actual legal conviction!
That’s why you need a really good attorney on your side!
If your spouse tells anyone you were a crappy parent, or mentions to you in conversation that they think you used questionable discipline methods, it’s time for a lawyer. Right now! Even if their comment is totally groundless, and you know it’s a lie, this could be the start of some very serious, and very scary allegations. So it’s time to strap on your gloves and get ready for a fight.
If your spouse is misrepresenting you as a parent, call The Kronzek Firm immediately at 866 766 5245. Our skilled family law attorneys have decades of experience handling false allegations of abuse, contentious divorces, and child abuse cases. We know exactly what’s involved, and how to achieve the best possible outcome in each individual situation. So don’t wait – call us immediately and save yourself a world of heartbreak. And join us next time for a few pointers on what to do if you’re involved in this terrible scenario!