Contacting a new therapist?

[DecentDad]

Hi Soc,

Background... petition initially filed in April 2001, and it has been stipulated orders / OSC motions since.  We will have our custody trial in February.  I'm currently at approx 25% timeshare due to initial advantage biomom had with making a false accusation then moving away before prosecutor dropped the charges against me.  Four months later, court ordered our daughter returned locally to begin the parenting plan.

We're currently undergoing custody and psych evals (i.e., 730) with an evaluator I was able to select upon referral from attorneys and an author of custody conflict/alienation books.  Opposing counsel agreed to this evaluator.  I'm anticipating that my ex will be diagnosed with a personality disorder (i.e., all signs point to it, but who knows what the evaluator will determine).

I've retained a 30-year experienced family law litigator who has a impressive CV, who did a good deposition of my ex, who in past four months has appeared three times on minor matters and won two.  The third resulted in my ex and her attorney being lectured to follow existing orders.

I have a highly-credentialed family psychiatrist with whom I've been doing psychotherapy over the past few years (about a hundred sessions altogether).  He's willing to testify as to my character, stability, and focus on daughter's welfare.  He's supportive of the parenting plan I've put forth (i.e., me having sole custody).  He'll testify at trial, if needed.

My wife (of three months) and I have been attending parenting classes with a woman whose blessing is apparently a big deal in custody litigation (i.e., two attorneys told me to complete her course), as she has 20 years experience and has published a few things.  She also does consultation for custody strategies, so I've also done private consultation with her to review the parenting plan I'm providing to the evaluator.  She's also a strong advocate for me to have sole custody and she herself insists I should include only monitored visitation with biomom.  She'll testify at trial, if needed.

I have no relevant skeletons in my closet, nor does my wife.  Biomom has continued to follow the vindictive/volatile road, easily documented via audio recordings and emails (i.e., court ordered that we may record each other and that parenting communication shall be restricted to emails, which may be printed).

Basically, I've got as many ducks lined up in a row as possible.

Here's the only unknown...

three months ago, biomom started seeing a new therapist, a LMFT.  She asked me to join her.  We've twice before seen therapists for co-parenting counseling, and they're simply opportunities for her to engage me, not resolve anything.  I declined.

Two months ago, biomom advised that she's entering our 3 year old daughter into therapy with the woman.

My attorney made contact to advise therapist that I do not consent to her treating my daughter, and we have joint custody.

Therapy has continued for my daughter.  Biomom can do a snowjob on anyone, provided there's no opposing voice, so I didn't want to give this therapist an opportunity to affirm whatever pseudo diagnosis of me that she already had in mind.

I wrote to the therapist to get records for my daughter so I can understand why my daughter is in therapy.  She wrote back, saying that she can't release them due to being intertwined with biomom's confidential information.  She invited me to make an appointment with her so she can explain her "clinical recommendations" (i.e., this coming from a LMFT).

My attorney says absolutely to make no contact with her until he decides otherwise.

The parenting/custody consultant says to absolutely make contact to ensure the therapist doesn't turn into a loose cannon at trial.

Man, I always end up writing the longest posts to explain my scenarios.

QUESTION

1.  If evaluator's report lands strongly in my favor, if I have a highly-credentialed family psychiatrist who also testifies on my behalf, and if there's a respected parenting expert testifying on my behalf... do you think should I be concerned about whatever a random LMFT is going to say at trial (assuming the worst)?  If so, what would you suggest I do about it?

Thanks, Soc, as always.

DD

[socrateaser]

>QUESTION
>
>1.  If evaluator's report lands strongly in my favor, if I
>have a highly-credentialed family psychiatrist who also
>testifies on my behalf, and if there's a respected parenting
>expert testifying on my behalf... do you think should I be
>concerned about whatever a random LMFT is going to say at
>trial (assuming the worst)?  If so, what would you suggest I
>do about it?

Depose the LMFT.