Q My ex complained that I don’t limit our daughters social media enough. He filed a modification asking that we modify our equal parenting plan to have sole custody for him due to my “neglect” of our teenagers after school. I work full time and he “consults” earning enough to avoid paying child support. He argues that if he has them after school every day, he will interact with them and they won’t be on their phones using social media.

My 15 year old just told me she found out she made a fake account and pretended to be a 16 year old boy, befriended all her friends and asked all kinds of questions about her. She is mortified and now refuses to spend time with him.

My 13 year old sees how this is affecting her sister and has just shut down all her social media and also refuses to talk to him. He claims I’m alienating them. The divorce was a terrible process – I don’t know if I can do it again, but I feel I have to protect my daughters. How can I help them?

A. You should file a counter-petition for modification to claim primary custody of your daughters and child support. Then you file a motion asking the court to appoint an attorney for your children. Given his age and behavior, an attorney for the children is probably more appropriate than a Guardian Ad Litem. A lawyer will talk to them and support their position in court. Their attorney can conduct discovery on behalf of the children and present evidence at hearings. A Guardian Ad Litem would be tasked with conducting an investigation and making recommendations regarding the parenting plan that is in the best interests of the children. If the court refuses to appoint a lawyer for the children, then you can ask for a GAL.

For your custody case, you should gather as much as you can about the fake profile your ex created and who he contacted. Ask which “friend” is the fake one, then see which parts of that profile are public. Screenshot everything you can in case they delete their account. Back up your screenshots.

If your children don’t already have a therapist, now is the time to make one happen. While he may have come from a good place, his decisions here will likely have a serious impact on your children.

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