Divorcing a narcissist in Minnesota is a lot more challenging than other divorces. If you’re going through this, you may have to deal with patterns of lies, control, blame shifting and repeated attempts to turn even simple discussions into major conflicts.
Minnesota courts don’t decide divorce matters, including child custody, based solely on a label. Instead, the court will focus on specific conduct and evidence. If children are involved, the court will look at how specific conduct affects children, safety, finances and the ability to follow court orders.
What issues do courts look at?
Courts tend to favor written records more than accusations. This means that messages, financial manipulation, police reports, parenting time denials, school communications, and prior court filings may be helpful. The court will want anything that shows one parent is creating instability or interfering with the relationship between the child and the other parent.
What can courts do in high-conflict cases?
Dakota County courts, just like other courts in this state, can use detailed temporary orders, custody evaluations, parenting time schedules, supervised exchanges, limits on communication and parenting consultants in high-conflict divorce cases. The goal isn’t to punish someone who’s being difficult. Instead, the goal is to create rules that are enforceable and that protect children when they’re involved.
How are custody issues evaluated?
The only priority in child custody cases in Minnesota is the best interests of the child. Minnesota law directs courts to consider some very specific points in all cases, which includes those involving a narcissistic parent. Some of these include:
- Child’s needs
- Each parent’s ability to care for the child
- Child’s relationship with each parent
- Each parent’s willingness to support the child’s relationship with the other parent
- Effects of any domestic abuse
When a narcissistic parent is involved in a custody dispute in Minnesota, the court will consider whether that parent uses the child as leverage against the other parent or engages in any type of parental alienation.
If behaviors overlap with requests for protective orders, the court will look at those circumstances. If there are threats, intimidation, harassment or abuse, the court may opt to limit contact or order supervised parenting time.
While courts won’t consider the actual diagnosis of narcissistic personality disorder in divorces in Minnesota, the effects of the condition are a factor. Having experienced legal guidance with these matters is beneficial to providing the evidence the court should see.