I know this. Personal. Quite true. In a divorce the custody parent has all the time in the world to paint whatever image they care to about the other spouse. They can essentially kill any future with children. No matter what the other parent does, its virtually impossible to recover when that process begins with young children. It is a tragedy and in the vast majority of cases, its not warranted.
Damned straight. Watching my sister in law and her ex do the custody battle. Sheās no saint, but heās an out and out bad person. This view comes from experience and research. Heās been a bad person for a long time. That said, both SIL and her ex have used the kids to snipe at each other. The only ones really being hurt in their fight are the kids. Fortunately SiL has mellowed and is now becoming a better mother, and doesnāt talk to much crap about her ex in front of the kids. Her ex? Heās gaming the system right now to make her life and the kidsā lives hell. All of the kids need therapy of some sort, especially their son.
Itās been sad to watch this train wreck. For their sake, all of them, including the es-husband I hope they resolve this soon. If it were my way, heād go away, from what I gather he should be in jail/prison, for a long time. SiL and her kids move here to the Carolinas to put distance between them and him. Just my thoughts. I canāt give any more info away, itās still going through the family court and legal system.