Dirty Divorce Tricks: Becoming a Helicopter Parent

While practicing Family Law through the years, the Walters Gilbreath, PLLC team has experienced all sorts of cases and is not shy of "dirty divorce tricks". These tricks are typically used to financial gain or to simply pose themselves as a "team player", but we know these tricks and you should prepare yourself for anything that may come. This blog will explain what a Helicopter Parent is, how this trick works and what you should do if you suspect your spouse of being a Helicopter Parent.

 

What is a Helicopter Parent?

We find the most common scenario is when a parent who has been disengaged with their family, especially the children, are woken up by the event of being served divorce papers. The Helicopter Parent will step in and suddenly become the most hands-on parent there is, at least temporarily.

 

Identifying if someone is attempting to pull this trick takes some case-by-case analysis. It is true that there are certain situations when a parent truly does want to spend more time with the children. Furthermore, there is a possibility that seeing that your family is dissolving, will renew the parent and make them strive to be the best parent that he/she can be. However, it is also common for one parent to be simply trying to do this for financial gain or minimize his/her financial loss.

 

What Should You Do?

If you suspect your soon-to-be-ex spouse of doing this, it is in your best interest to talk to an experienced attorney to develop a strategic plan during the pending divorce to show the true intentions of the Helicopter Parent. Remember, if a parent truly wants to be a hands-on parent, it is a win-win for all parties (including the children). But if the parent does not want to be a hands-on parent, he/she needs to be exposed so that the children do not suffer by having an artificially low child support amount or artificial attention from their parents.