This is the next post in a series of articles discussing common issues arising when a parent wishes to impose supervised visitation on their co-parent in Las Vegas, Nevada. My previous article discussed the type of evidence necessary to support a supervision request. As in all legal proceedings, parties are required to present objective evidence to the Court to prove that supervised visitation is necessary. Evidence must comply with strict rules in order to be considered by the Judge. An experienced family attorney can help ensure that these rules are followed and that your evidence is presented in an effective manner. In this article, I will address situations in which a parent presents false or exaggerated claims to the Court in an attempt to seek an order for supervision. If you are the subject of false claims in a custody case, contact an attorney as soon as possible to protect your parental rights.
Child custody matters are among the most contentious legal battles in the Clark County Family Court. This is particularly true when one parent believes their counterpart’s visitation should be supervised. Whether motivated by anger, revenge, or an attempt to get leverage in a divorce proceeding, it is not uncommon for a party to assert false allegations against their co-parent in an attempt to interfere with their parental rights. In other cases, one parent may grossly exaggerate or misrepresent information about the other. For instance, a father may claim that his child’s mother is an alcoholic, when, in reality, she has one glass of wine with dinner every evening. Whatever the rationale, when one parent claims that their child is in danger when left alone with their other parent, the Court has no choice but to take the allegation seriously. It is imperative, therefore, to react quickly to fabricated accusations and vigorously defend oneself against such claims. Failing to do so may result in a prolonged and expensive legal battle or a reduction in your parental rights.
It is important to understand that a Judge will not look favorably upon a party who presents false claims to the Court. If it can be proven that a request for supervised visitation was based on fabricated information about the other parent, the move may backfire on the requesting party. The Judge may determine that the falsified statements were an attempt to interfere with the other parent’s relationship with their child and, therefore, not in the child’s best interests. Wasting the Court’s and the co-parent’s time and resources could be grounds for the offending parent to be required to pay their counterpart’s legal fees. Furthermore, false claims could ultimately result in the reduction or loss of visitation time or other parental rights for the requesting party.
If you have been subjected to a false claim in a child custody matter then it is vital that you contact an experienced Las Vegas attorney immediately. I have experience in handling such matters and my office is ready to assist you. Contact us today to speak with a lawyer.