Parents would do anything for their kids, and when parents must share their children’s time with their ex, it can be hard on everyone to find a good balance of how and when to be together. For some Illinois families, following the terms of child custody and visitation agreements are straightforward and the parties respect each other’s time with their shared children. For others, respecting their ex’s right to have interactions with their children is next to impossible.

When a parent deliberately gets between a child and the child’s other parent, those actions may be deemed interference. Parental interference can become a major family law problem when it limits or curtails the contact a parent has with their children. In some situations, a parent may actively try to prevent their ex from being with their kids. They may fail to drop their child off for visitation time, or may show up early when it is their time to pick the child up.

Other forms of interference are more covert. A parent may attempt to undermine their ex’s authority in their child’s life with hurtful words or comments about them to their child. Parents who engage in indirect interference may try to prevent or limit the communications that children have with their other parent, interfering with that parent’s custody rights.

Instances of parental interference may occur from time to time in families dealing with separation and divorce, but when it becomes a systemic problem it can negatively affect a parent’s right to be with their kids. Individuals who are fighting to maintain structured custodial and visitation schedules with their ex and who are fearful of what parental interference is doing to their relationships with their kids may want to discuss these family law issues with a professional.