How Can You Tell/ Handle It When A Visitation Client Is Lying To You?

In your gut, you think the visitation parent may be lying to you. Your gut isn’t enough to go on, but you shouldn’t discount it either.

Here are simple guiding questions and principles to help address this issue:

a) Is there supporting or contradictory evidence to your suspicions?
b) Stay open and objective to the actual evidence or facts.
c) Determine if the lie matters (i.e. Was the lie about the parents late arrival or an emotionally harmful statement the parent made to the child?
d) Will the lie change potential visitation outcomes?
e) Will the lie have an impact on the child-parent relationship?
f) If the lie can be confirmed and has a negative impact on the visitation, consider implementing L13 of the Uniform Standards of Court 5.20 (allowing a Provider to set additional rules both parties must follow).

4/4/2015

*Post inspired by James Pitman, Ph.D