How to Win Child Custody Against a Narcissistic Father

To get custody of your child, you have to prove that you'll provide the better environment for her.

To win a child custody battle, you need to be able to prove that the child is better off living with you than with the other parent. In the case of a narcissistic father, you'd want to prove that his narcissism is bad enough to affect the child's emotional or physical health and well-being. Because people with severe narcissistic tendencies can be overly critical, self-concerned, or lacking in empathy, you'll be able to use a narcissistic father's trait to prove that he cannot provide a good, loving environment for your child.

Instructions

1. Write down specific incidents that have displayed the father's narcissistic tendencies and get other people you know to attest to those incidents in writing. The more written testimony you can gather that shows the father's narcissistic behavior negatively affecting your child, the stronger your case will be.

2. Ask three people who have seen the narcissistic father behave poorly to your child to come to court and testify on your behalf. They should be people of good moral character who have been around you, your child and the father of your child.

3. Make a record of the times that you have spent with your child. Include school activities, general errands, medical checkups and other things you have done for them. Show how your involvement in your child's life is greater than that of his father, which will likely be the case if the father is a narcissist, since they're more concerned with themselves than with anyone else.

4. Make an appointment for your child with a counselor. A narcissistic father is likely to have been critical or emotionally immature, and a child's counselor can help the child express their feelings about their father. The counselor will testify in court about what they believe is the best choice for the child.

5. Be timely and prompt with any and all documents requested by the court. Do not call the father names or be condescending in any way. People with narcissistic tendencies have a difficult time relating to others, and it is important that you show your maturity in court; it will contrast with his lack of maturity.

References

• National Institutes of Health: Narcissistic Personality Disorder
• Woman's Divorce: Child Custody Battles
• University of Maryland Medical Center: Narcissistic Personality Disorder