Here’s what protective parents need to know about “parental alienation” accusations in a child custody battle with a narcissist. For starters, I’d never heard the term “parental alienation” prior to my custody battle beginning in 2009. In fact, when I first heard this accusation from my ex-husband in a court declaration, I found myself googling the term and going down dark, seedy rabbit holes. "Surely he is confused, I'm ‘alienating’ him?” Perplexed would be an understatement, I thought there was a mistake. I reflected back on our marriage and the biggest source of contention was the fact ..read more

When attempting co parenting with a narcissist, strategic communication is a lifesaver (literally). I was at the end of my rope. I’d tried everything and then some. Negotiation. Compromise. Stating the facts. Providing him with lists and bullet points. And then, all of these things on repeat to the point of exhaustion. It was a cycle that was threatening to destroy me. Nothing worked. Communicating with my ex-husband only made everything worse. Court professionals saw me as “part of the problem” and my stress and anxiety was off the charts. If you’re here, I’m sure you can relate. Learnin ..read more

I am considered a family court success story but I don't know that my children would be safe today had I not changed course when it came to how I documented things, and how I organized the chaos that had become our lives. Without radically changing my documentation system during my child custody battle, I don’t know if things would’ve unfolded the way they did. Protective Parents & Documentation in a Child Custody Battle If you’re like many protective parents out there, you’re doing your very best to consistently document important things for your child custody battle. But here’s where it ..read more

I can’t help but cringe when I hear people counsel victims of narcissistic abuse to use the Gray Rock method with the narcissist. Don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful method of communicating with toxic individuals if you do not have children together. In many cases, the Gray Rock method can make things worse for you in court.  So What Is “Gray Rock”? We use Gray Rock to become as interesting as a… gray rock.  Dull. Boring. “Nothing to see here!”  The idea is that in diminishing your emotional responsiveness to the narcissist, they will lose interest in you and find another ..read more

Good evening Delegate Crutchfield,  My name is Hera McLeod. I'm a domestic violence survivor and child safety advocate who has been advocating for the safety of Maryland's children since 2012 when my son Prince was brutally murdered by his father (during his fourth, court ordered unsupervised visit). My son was sentenced to death in the Montgomery County, MD family court after former Maryland Judge Michael Algeo ignored dangerous patterns of domestic violence against women and children, assault, fraud, and several suspicious murders. You can learn more about my story, platform, and v ..read more

On Wednesday, January 17, 2024, I prepared testimony in opposition of Washington's HB 2237 and I am told there were over 20 people waiting to testify against this legislation when the meeting ended (time constraints). It is very important to note, the Washington Superior Court Judges’ Association (SCJA) were key authors, contributing to this bill. Definite red flags for me. I was able to provide written testimony, and I encourage you to do the same by clicking here. Here is my submitted testimony: “My name is Tina Swithin. I am providing testimony in strong opposition, on b ..read more

At One Mom’s Battle (OMB), we try to keep our finger on the pulse of legislation around the country. With fifty OMB chapters here in the United States, we often have a front row seat to the horrors taking place in family court houses across the country. For the past few years, Washington has been on our radar as a state that is failing survivors and children. Instead of moving forward in a positive direction, there are several pieces of legislation in the pipeline that will make things even worse for survivors of domestic abuse. We cannot afford to go backwards further. We must come together a ..read more

Urgent call to action: we need your help! Survivors in court need to have a record of what happens in court. Senate Bill 662 allows electronic recording when a court reporter is not available. Right now, no court reporter means no record!  If the bill is not voted out of committee, it will die! When: Monday, January 8, 2023 - Friday, January 12th How: Create an account/Log in and submit a letter to the Senate Appropriations Committee  &/or write a letter via email/prepare to call directly (use the contact info below) What to Write/Say: I am a parent/advocate i ..read more

Long time activist and Family Court Reform Specialist, Elizabeth Peterson, is paying a heavy price for whistleblowing on the dysfunction of Montana’s family courts and for exposing certain Montana judges’ allegiance to the pedophilia-friendly ideology of “parental alienation.”  All eyes are now on Judge Peter Ohman(#AllEyesonJudgePeterOhman) of the Eighteenth District Court to see if he will begin to correct the court-created trauma of the Family Bridges’ modeled parenting plan which was implemented five years ago by Bozeman Montana’s notorious Standing Master Bowen.  Bowen has been ..read more

In 2018, a husband in Maricopa County, Arizona, abandoned his wife and four children. He was gone for five years. During this time, the wife was dependent on her mother to pay the mortgage on the home. The divorce was finalized on October 28, 2021, but an egregious error left the home out of the final decree. In April 2022, the mother was awarded the home, but signed it over to her mother who was financially supporting her daughter, and grandchildren.  In November 2022, the father asked for intense reunification to begin again.  A minute entry was then submitted with an order by ..read more