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‘Speak to our lawyer, mom’

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Images: via Getty Images

Adults are supposed to be the ones who know better. They’re expected to be in control of their emotions, and capable of looking after their kids. The trouble is, adults deal with adult issues, and sometimes they don’t cope. A parent who is going through some traumatic experience such as grief or the end of a relationship may display erratic, even crazy, behaviour. If their kids get dragged into it, they may even seek legal assistance for protection from a mad mom or a loony dad. But how many of these legal battles are just family fights fought on a different platform?

One more text, and you're GONE!


Take Demi Moore, for example. If the tabloids are to be believed, she’s falling apart after breaking up with Ashton Kutcher. She’s allegedly badgering her kids so much that daughters Tatum, Rumer and Scout are considering seeking a restraining order against their mom.

There have been other cases of kids taking legal action against their parents. Sometimes it may be for financial reasons, others, in order to protect themselves from physical or emotional harm.

Legal action could be asking that a mediator from family court be present during any time when the estranged parent makes contact, or, if things get really bad, a divorce.

If it’s just the temporary insanity that can accompany a nasty relationship implosion, then a restraining order is probably enough to keep things manageable until the storm is over.

Demi Moore’s kids reportedly just want “peace and quiet”. I guess any kid is allowed to want that. But at what cost to their future relationship with their mom? Maybe, just maybe, this is one of those parenting moments which one day, far in the future, they’ll look back on and share some laughs about...

When should kids seek legal action against their parents?

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