Legal Question in Family Law in Idaho

can i meet his girlfriend who is around my daughter

my ex has had a girlfriend for about a year and a half and each time he has my daughter on his weekends, she comes home upset at something his girlfriend has said or done to her, such as she got everyone at his family christmas a gift but my daughter, she is only 7 and has trouble understanding why she does this to her, i have asked several times to at least meet her so i can see if my daughter is truthful in her sadness or if the girlfriend seems ok, but all times they both refuse to meet with me and i do not know where she is or her last name or anything, do i have a right to know who my daughter is around and why she is upset? i have custody of her and he has every other weekend, which he has only started to do since this lady has been with him..


Asked on 3/12/04, 1:46 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Michael Cherasia Attorney at Law

Re: can i meet his girlfriend who is around my daughter

Just on the information you have provided you probably don't have a right that you can assert. The Idaho Legislature has expressly rejected the "reasonable parent standard" and gives great discression to how parents raise their children. Generally your ex has the right to freely associate with whomever he chooses-- even with people who upset his child. The circumstances where you would be able (required) to intertvien is if there were abuse or neglect.

If the problem is serious enough, you might consider the need for counseling for your daughter. That might be the easiest way to determine if the problem is one of the child's adjustment to the girlfriend or of the girlfriend's treatment of the child. I'd assume that about the time your ex has to start paying his share of her counseling (medical) expenses this might also peek his interest in addressing the situation.

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Answered on 3/15/04, 3:39 pm


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