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Step-parenting

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Parental Alienation

62 replies

Lucky34 · 04/07/2022 03:59

Hi there

We are experiencing some real challenges with the ex & finding the behaviour quite destructive.

I'm just wondering if anyone has experienced trying to evidence parental alienation behaviours & what you did to provide "proof".

We think we are going to have to challenge some of these now but unfortunately unless we can evidence it, I can only imagine what we will be up against. The ex seems to have little to no insight on her behaviours.

Any advice on what to do would be greatly appreciated. As you can see, I am losing sleep over this & it is impacting our life in a very real way.

OP posts:
Lucky34 · 13/07/2022 16:38

Thank you all, I honestly do appreciate your help & guidance on this. I agree with you @savethatkitty that it is always sided with the mother, no matter the glaring obvious facts.

It amazes me how she is able to call us names, lie by means of omission or deception & it is just how it is, however if something happens in our life that she deems unsuitable etc then it all goes crazy & our contact is threatened & her lawyer is notified.

I've started to go through all our past texts/emails etc & collate it in an online diary. Obviously I will continue to do this & use screenshots as evidence for future events. I'm also going to utilise our ring doorbell when handover behaviour is less than savoury.

Her behaviour is very erratic with constant threats or changes but then the next day ... it's all back to normal. It's very hard to get a grasp of what is actually happening.

Our DsD comes to ours and you can see the panic when you ask a simple question such as "what have you been up to", we then get a rehearsed dialogue & stumbling through it. I now don't ask, not because I'm not interested, but because I don't want to put her through it all. Everything is a secret & "don't tell daddy" etc.

Im now more realistic in what to expect & realise we may just have to go away on holiday without DSD, rather than be continually strung along until it suits to agree or not. We will need to explain to DSD why we are going away without her in a way that doesn't make things worse but it is just so sad that it ends up like this.

I feel documenting is somewhat futile as if it ever does go to court - no judge is going to read all of the nonsense. But hopefully it will at least demonstrate that we do care, we want to be a part of DsDs life and we continue to go through all the nonsense to get some contact.

We have had incidents of phones/smart watches being given to DSD & then the ex contacts & phones throughout our time with her. We now insist all devices are now put in a drawer & not allowed until home

OP posts:
RedWingBoots · 13/07/2022 17:09

Op her solicitor is just that - they aren't the Court. They just act for their client and to act for their client, unless the client is abusive, they have to believe their client. Your partner can choose not to reply to any of the solicitor's letters, or to waste his ex's money by sending multiple replies to one letter.

You need to disengage. This doesn't mean being nasty to the child and not supporting your partner but you need to be more emotionally distant for your own well-being. So it shouldn't be you making any records in case it goes to Court it should be your partner.

In regards to holidays, days out, presents etc has your partner made it clear to his eldest that Lucky34 isn't your mother but your younger sibling(s) mother, therefore if Lucky34 chooses to pay for your younger sibling(s) to do x, y and z then it is her choice and you need to ask your mother to do it for you? As he needs to. If his ex then complains because you went on holiday and didn't take his eldest as you paid for it and are a non-related third party, then that's all she can do.

pitchforksandflamethrowers · 13/07/2022 17:53

@RedWingBoots your here !! Thank god because this court stuff baffles me !

beachcitygirl · 13/07/2022 18:26

@Catfordthefifth of course I'm not denying it ever happens.
The OP in this case seems to be going through hell.
What I'm saying is that it is still very much a tool in a (usually male) nrp toolkit of abuse. Sadly

Catfordthefifth · 13/07/2022 20:25

beachcitygirl · 13/07/2022 18:26

@Catfordthefifth of course I'm not denying it ever happens.
The OP in this case seems to be going through hell.
What I'm saying is that it is still very much a tool in a (usually male) nrp toolkit of abuse. Sadly

I'm sure it is, but that doesn't negate the fact it does infact happen, probably much more regularly than you'd think.

Its like we can all accept men can be abusive but really struggle to believe women can be.

Lucky34 · 14/07/2022 19:49

Just wondering if anyone has a good website or book etc that helps with wording or appropriate responses to letters received from lawyers. Just want to keep ourselves right but happy to waste time & money. As per usual, we've had another tirade of messages accusing us of things that have not happened. We wish to direct all correspondence to come via her lawyer but want to know how best to respond. I've looked up Amazon etc but it's hard to know. Can anyone help?

OP posts:
Casper10 · 14/07/2022 20:08

Try dadswithkids.co.uk

RedWingBoots · 14/07/2022 20:20

OP send a short reply saying your received the letter dated xxx and "Recollections may vary in regards to the alleged events mentioned in your letter"

Remember the Queen used the term "some recollections may vary" and if you use variations of that with the word "alleged" each time she sends shit like that you are politely calling her out.

If you then get any response to that simply don't reply.

RedWingBoots · 14/07/2022 20:23

Should have added OP one of the tricks is not responding to their (endless) mindless correspondence once a short and to the point response has been sent. It winds them up that you are ignoring them.

Also if your partner doesn't have a Child Arrangements Order and the child is under 10 he needs to go and get one urgently. If necessary he should go to the Court to ensure they have his papers once he's submitted the application.

Lucky34 · 14/07/2022 20:25

Thank you.... that is so helpful & I think we will be doing that ASAP. But just very good to know what to reply so we don't get ourselves into any problems

OP posts:
Motherlandismylife · 18/07/2022 15:53

This reply has been deleted

The OP has now deregistered, as they have privacy concerns. We have agreed to take this down at their request.

Lucky34 · 18/07/2022 18:15

@Motherlandismylife that is such a disheartening & sad post to read. I hope we can try to prevent things getting as far as that but I honestly could see the ex putting DSD in these predicaments.

We have sought a matrimonial lawyer & we are going to begin proceedings for a court order in relation to our time as no matter what, we get constant communications & it is becoming unbearable.

We notice that if we now do not respond, we get a message saying "as you have failed to respond, I will take that you agree with me...... blah blah blah). So we now just reply no & our contact will be as previously agreed. Any further communication is ignored.

OP posts:
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