No fault divorce laws allow people (especially men) to be dragged into divorce court and shorn like sheep against their will. A common tactic is to falsely accuse someone of child abuse in order to secure custody of the children. These accusations are often accepted without proof.
A common tactic is to falsely accuse someone of child abuse in order to secure custody of the children. These accusations are often accepted without proof.
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I've seen both sides -- deadbeat dads skipping town to avoid support and I've seen greedy, vindictive women ruin their ex-husbands/boyfriends over child support and custody. My cousin (living in Kansas at the time) was dragged out of a meeting at work in handcuffs when his miserable ex-wife accused him of abusing their son. Presumably, he was exonerated of the charges, but his visits with his son had to be monitored by family social services. Really sad the lengths some people go to hurt each other...and the children are the ones who really suffer. The bitter divorce and child support/custody fight left my cousin and his son estranged for a long time. Now that the son is an adult, he and his father are finally starting to get along. But there is still a lot of residual damage and it's a question mark as to whether any of it will heal.
And yes, it seems that fake child abuse allegations are common enough in these proceedings, but the court's hands are tied. Child abuse allegations need to be investigated by law - it would be irresponsible for the court not to investigate and it would be irresponsible to not suspend custody during the investigation.
How do you solve the dilemma? Criminal charges against people who bring false allegations will discourage people from bringing lots of legitimate allegations that are difficult to prove.
But what's the bottom line? - we have husbands who have either (1) married women who are insane or who have no moral compass or (2) managed to treat a woman so poorly that she is willing to accuse him of abuse in order to get him out of her and her children's lives.
90% of these cases would never happen if the husband was more careful and less stupid in choosing a spouse or, alternatively, was able to stay faithful to the spouse he chose.
I have zero sympathy for any husband who cheats on his wife. He deserves pretty much any outcome he gets. And I absolutely consider unfaithfulness to a child's mother child abuse.
divorce is the only legal method I know of where someone can take half of what you own (and your kids) with absolutely no provocation or cause whatsoever.
IOW, "no-fault" was the beginning of the end of the family.
Anyone who doesn't get that is whistling past the chapel.