A perfectly legitimate concern.
On its face, my suggestion may sound "over the top" but considering the alternatives and the cost of the alternatives, it may be the best long-term solution. Contact the father and tell him that you want him to have a relationship with your baby, but you are afraid of the hostility expressed by his wife and that you would like to attend 1-2 sessions with a jointly selected family counselor to discuss it constructively. Point out to him that you understand that she is angry and that she may have a right to feel angry, but you also have a right to ensure that she will not say or do anything in the presence of the child to cause the baby or your concern. Take the high road and show that you are willing to let her express her anger but that your goal is to find a path forward constructively.
If that does not work, then you and the father will end up in court and a judge will decide how his parenting time is determined and whether it is supervised, not supervised, or handled in a different way. By trying to resolve the issue in a counselor’s office, maybe after a few tears and a few curses, a constructive path can be forged. It will also be a much cheaper option than hiring lawyers and fighting this issue out in a courtroom.
Answered on May 04th, 2022 at 6:11 AM