CHILDREN'S RIGHTS IN FAMILY COURT

Children’s Voices in Court: How to Protect Your Child in a Custody Battle, a Discussion with attorney and GAL, Suzanne Chester

The scariest part of a custody battle isn’t the paperwork — it’s knowing the judge may never really understand what your child is living through behind closed doors.

When you’re co-parenting with an abusive or controlling ex, you’re not just fighting for yourself. You are fighting for your child’s safety, voice, and future.

In this powerful Family Court Awareness Month conversation, Attorney & Survivor Tiffany Lesnik (Live Free Legal) sits down with Suzanne Chester, former Director of The Child’s Advocate with Legal Aid of NC, national trainer, trauma-informed child advocate, GAL, and author of “Reunification, Alienation, and Retraumatization: Let’s Start Listening to the Child.”

Together, we unpack how children’s voices are (and aren’t) heard in family court—and how protective moms can advocate for their kids without being labeled “high conflict” or “alienating.”

💬 WE COVER:
👉 How judges really hear children in custody cases (and where things get lost in translation)
👉 What a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) actually does — and how to work with or around one
👉 Parental alienation vs estrangement vs retraumatization (and why the difference matters)
👉 The truth about reunification therapy + reunification camps in coercive control cases
👉 Safe vs unsafe therapy approaches for kids living with abuse
👉 How to use teachers, therapists, neighbors, coaches & records as evidence
👉 What to do if you suspect child sexual abuse or emotional harm
👉 How to advocate for your child without looking uncooperative in court

🎯 THIS EPISODE IS FOR:
💛 Protective moms fighting an abusive or coercive-controlling ex
💛 Survivors whose kids are being forced into contact they don’t want
💛 Women afraid of being accused of “parental alienation”
💛 Anyone confused about GALs, custody evaluators, or reunification therapy
💛 Moms wanting to make sure the judge actually hears their child

✨ FREE RESOURCE FOR MEMBERS: CHILDREN’S VOICE CHECKLIST
Inside the EmpowerHER Membership, get instant access to the Children’s Voice Checklist — a step-by-step guide to help you document your child’s experience, prepare evidence, and advocate for their safety in court.

For just $35/year, EmpowerHER gives you:
📁 A growing legal templates + forms library
📘 Court prep guides & checklists
🎥 Webcast replays & workshops
🙏 Faith-based devotionals for survivors
🌿 A community of women who get it

👉 Join here: LiveFreeLegal.com

🙏 NEXT STEPS:
📌 Subscribe to @LiveFreeLegal for weekly court prep + DV education
💬 Contact Suzanne Chester at www.childsvoicelaw.com
➡️ Share this video with a mom who feels alone in her custody battle

You and your child are worth fighting for. You do not have to do this alone. 💛

📍 CHAPTERS
00:00 – The hidden fear in custody battles
01:10 – Meet Tiffany Lesnik & Live Free Legal
02:40 – Introducing Suzanne Chester & Child’s Voice Law
05:15 – How children’s voices really reach the judge
08:30 – At what age do courts consider a child’s wishes?
12:00 – Who can testify for your child? Teachers, neighbors, therapists & more
16:45 – Therapists as fact witnesses vs expert witnesses
20:10 – What does a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) actually do?
25:30 – How to communicate with a GAL without looking “high conflict”
30:05 – When the GAL isn’t trauma-informed or doesn’t get coercive control
34:20 – Expert witnesses on coercive control & when to use them
38:10 – Do children have rights/voices in custody cases?
42:00 – Parental alienation vs estrangement vs retraumatization
46:20 – Reunification therapy: when it helps and when it harms
51:10 – Reunification camps & why survivors should be cautious
55:30 – Handling suspected child sexual abuse & CPS reports wisely
1:00:40 – Safe documentation: pediatricians, records & avoiding “coaching”
1:05:00 – Hope, change in family court & closing encouragement
1:07:30 – How to join EmpowerHER + Children’s Voice Checklist

#ChildrensVoices #FamilyCourtAwarenessMonth #CustodyBattle
#GuardianAdLitem #ReunificationTherapy #ParentalAlienation
#CoerciveControl #ProtectiveMoms #DomesticViolenceSurvivor
#HighConflictCustody #ChildSafety #LiveFreeLegal #EmpowerHER

📚 LEGAL Resources for You:

👉 Click here to get my free guide "TOP LIES ABUSERS TELL"
https://www.livefreelegal.com/toplies...

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