For parents who have been dealing with repeated child custody violations, you now know what to call it. Custodial interference is a real legal term and it occurs when one parent attempts to interfere with or disrupt the other parent’s physical time with the child. Unfortunately, many people in Tennessee face this problem every day. In most cases, interference behaviors are a blatant violation of child custody orders and could lead to criminal consequences for the offender.
Custodial interference can happen to either parent. For the custodial parent, it can happen if the other parent continues to disobey the terms of the child custody order. For the noncustodial parent, it can happen if the custodial parent does not obey the visitation schedule. To help you identify violations, below are some examples of custodial interference.
— Not returning the child to the other parent on time
— Enticing the child away from the custodial parent
— Attempting to visit with or see the child outside of the visitation schedule
— Not allowing the noncustodial parent to see the child during scheduled visitation times
— Interfering with telephone calls or other modes of communication between the child and the other parent
The only time it is okay to interfere with a parent’s custody is when the child is in real danger. You should also know that if the other parent appears to violate the child custody arrangement because of an uncontrollable event such as bad weather, it will not be considered custodial interference.
If you believe your co-parent is engaging in custodial behavior, you are entitled to take action. You may report the behavior to a Tennessee court and you may also acquire an attorney to help you find a solution to your child custody issues.
Source: FindLaw, “What Is Custodial Interference?,” accessed June 03, 2016