Does Your Ex-Spouse Have Malicious Parent Syndrome?

Divorces that involve children can be some of the most challenging events that divorce attorneys help parents work through.

Unfortunately, many lawyers see their clients dealing with Malicious Parent Syndrome, a destructive behavior that can negatively affect parent-child relationships.

Read on to learn more about this situation and what divorce attorneys recommend for parents facing problems with their exes after their divorce is finalized.

What Is Malicious Parent Syndrome?

Malicious Parent Syndrome or MPS is a behavior that divorce attorneys sometimes see being exhibited by the ex-spouse of their clients, especially when those ex-spouses are dissatisfied with child custody orders or with the divorce itself.

It is vengeful behavior that divorce lawyers see disrupting the lives of parents and their children during the divorce process or after a divorce has been finalized and spouses must work together to co-parent their children.

What Are The Characteristics of MPS?

Although MPS is not an actual mental disorder, divorce attorneys understand that psychologists recognize it as a malicious psychological behavior that can be exhibited by both mothers and fathers.

According to experts on the matter, parents are said to be exhibiting MPS when they meet the following criteria:

Punishment - The parent punishes in various ways, such as engaging in excess litigation against their ex, attempting to alienate the child from the other parent, and convincing others to act maliciously against the other parent.
Denial - The parent attempts to deny their ex visitation with the child, prevent participation in the child’s school and extra-curricular life, or prevent communication with the child.
Maliciousness - The parent repeatedly lies to the child and others about their ex and may break the law or intentionally go against divorce and custody orders.
No Mental Health Issues - There is no other mental health disorder present that would otherwise explain these behaviors.

How Can MPS Affect Parents and Their Children?

Sadly, many divorce attorneys have witnessed the broad, damaging effects of MPS, affecting both children and their parents.

It can result in psychological damage to both the child as well as the victimized parent and seriously affect the relationship between children and both parents.

Divorce lawyers find that MPS behavior often leads to the prolonging of custody proceedings and can keep parents returning to court repeatedly if they are unable to successfully co-parent as required.

In worst-case scenarios, these cases may even elevate beyond the point where a divorce attorney can be of help as the legal system progresses the case to a criminal court.

What Can Parents Do When Facing A Difficult Ex-Spouse?

When an ex-spouse exhibits vindictive behaviors such as those identified in Malicious Parent Syndrome, their divorce attorney can try to help.

Divorce lawyers experienced in challenging custody and family law cases can advise clients on the steps they should take to have their difficult ex-spouses addressed and custody orders enforced.

Although attorneys may not be able to completely resolve these issues for their clients, they are a parent’s first line of defense when dealing with Malicious Parent Syndrome and the avenues they should take to combat it.