Can the court keep your kids from your ex’s new partner?
You and your ex got divorced a year ago. Your ex is now involved with someone new, although you are not.
While you don’t spend too much time worrying about your ex’s personal life, you do have one problem with this: Your children are going to be around that new person when your ex has custody of them. You don’t approve of the person and worry that they could have a bad influence on your kids. Can the court keep your ex’s partner from seeing them?
Probably not. Remember, the court is not too worried about how you feel about someone or what you want. They are seeking the best interests of the children. In their eyes, that may mean that your kids need to have a relationship with your ex. Stopping them from seeing a parent just because you don’t like the new partner is not likely.
Of course, you can seek a custody modification if you think there are some real risks involved, going beyond the simple fact that you do not like the person or approve of the relationship. For instance, maybe your ex’s new partner has a history of child abuse and you worry that your kids are in danger. The court will take these types of risks seriously if it is clear that they really do exist.
If you want to seek a parenting time modification for any reason, remember that it is a technical process. You need court approval, so you have to know exactly what steps they want you to take moving forward.