In Wisconsin, expressing your anger toward your soon-to-be ex-spouse and refusing to co-parent with your soon-to-be ex can negatively impact the custody and placement schedule you receive. This is because one of the factors the Judge is to consider when making a determination as to what custody and placement arrangement is in the child’s best interests, is whether one parent is likely to unreasonably interfere with the child’s continuing relationship with the other parent.
In the Hollister case, 173 Wis.2d 413, 496 N.W.2d 642 (Ct. App 1992), the appellate court upheld the trial court’s determination that the child’s best interests were served by awarding sole legal custody and primary placement to the father because Mrs. Hollister, the mother, consistently throughout the proceedings expressed her anger about Mr. Hollister’s infidelity and made unilateral decisions to deprive Mr. Hollister of his parenting time. The Judge considered the statutory factors and granted sole legal custody and primary placement to the father, concluding that Mrs. Hollister’s anger toward Mr. Hollister and her past unilateral actions, made it likely that if she were given custody of the children that she would interfere with the father’s continuing relationship with his children.
An experienced divorce attorney will recommend to his/her client to try their very best to co-parent with the other throughout the divorce process. This is because, as seen in Hollister, one parent’s failure or refusal to co-parent with the other parent may result in the judge taking away rights to the child or decreasing the amount of placement time the parent is granted.
** Entries posted on this Blog shall not be deemed legal advice. For individual attention to your particular legal situation, consult an attorney.** Attorney Dan Murray helps individuals with divorce, custody, placement, and family-law matters throughout Western Wisconsin and the Twin Cities eastern metro. Feel free to contact him at http://www.rodlibeskar.com