A Father’s Fight for Connection: Breaking Through Barriers to Reach His Children

A Narrative Story of In re the Matter of Amarreh, 918 N.W.2d 228 (Minn. Ct. App. 2018)

The silence on the other end of the phone line felt deafening. For the eighth month in a row, this father* couldn’t reach his children. Every call went unanswered, every attempt to connect blocked by barriers he couldn’t understand. As a professional with a PhD in neuroscience, he was used to solving complex problems, but this challenge felt impossible – how do you fight for a relationship with your own children when every door seems closed?

His journey began with hope and promise. After immigrating from his home country to Columbus, Ohio, he had met his wife, and together they built a life filled with dreams for their future. Their son arrived in 2003, followed by their daughter in 2005. Both parents were highly educated – The father held advanced degrees in neuroscience and public affairs, while His wife had earned her Master’s in Education and was licensed to teach English as a second language.

The family had moved to Madison, Wisconsin in 2008, seeking new opportunities. But life took an unexpected turn in February 2011 when a domestic incident led to the father’s arrest. Though he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct, the consequences rippled through their family. The court issued a temporary restraining order, and his wife separated from him, eventually moving with the children to Green Bay.

Despite the separation, He felt a sense of relief when the Wisconsin court established a custody arrangement in October 2011. The court awarded both parents joint legal custody, with the children living primarily with their mother but including regular periods of physical placement with the father. He could still be a father to his children, still be part of their lives.

When his work took him to Washington, D.C. in August 2014, the father made sure to maintain his connection with his children. He continued providing financial support and made regular visits to Green Bay. The distance was challenging, but he was determined to remain an active, loving presence in their lives.

Then everything changed. In early 2016, his wife moved to Minneapolis, leaving the children with their maternal grandmother in Green Bay until June. He felt anxious about this sudden change – no advance notice, no discussion about how it would affect his relationship with the children. But he tried to stay positive, registering the Wisconsin custody order in Dakota County to ensure continuity.

What happened next filled the father with a growing sense of desperation and heartbreak. For eight long months, he was completely cut off from his children. Phone calls were blocked. When he tried to reach them, he was told they couldn’t talk to him. Even worse, he learned that his wife was telling the children hurtful things – that he was going to have other children and forget about them.

The isolation was devastating. He felt like he was losing his children not through any fault of his own, but through systematic interference with their relationship. He couldn’t get information about their schooling, their medical care, or even their daily lives. She had enrolled them in a Minneapolis mosque without his knowledge or involvement, completely excluding him from decisions about their religious upbringing.

The stress and frustration were overwhelming. As an educated professional who understood systems and processes, the father knew he had rights. But those rights felt meaningless when he couldn’t exercise them. The emotional toll was enormous – the constant worry about his children’s wellbeing, the fear that they might believe the negative things being said about him, the sadness of missing months of their growing up.

In September 2017, he decided he had to take action. He filed a motion to modify custody, documenting the pattern of interference and denial of his parenting time. He felt hopeful that the court would recognize what was happening and give him a chance to present his case properly.

But his hope turned to disappointment when the district court denied his motion without even holding an evidentiary hearing. The judge concluded that the father had failed to make a “prima facie case” that the children’s emotional health was endangered. The decision felt like another door slamming shut, another barrier between him and his children.

He refused to give up. He knew that what was happening to his children – being systematically separated from their father – was harmful to their emotional development. The research was clear about the importance of maintaining healthy relationships with both parents. He decided to appeal the decision, determined to fight for his right to be heard.

The appeal process was nerve-wracking, but he felt a growing sense of confidence as he prepared his case. He had documented the interference, the blocked communications, the exclusion from important decisions about his children’s lives. He believed that if a court would just listen to the evidence, they would understand the emotional endangerment his children were experiencing.

When the Minnesota Court of Appeals issued their decision, the father felt waves of relief and validation wash over him. The appellate court had reversed the lower court’s ruling, recognizing that his allegations of substantial interference with the parent-child relationship were sufficient to establish a prima facie case of child emotional endangerment.

The Court of Appeals understood what the district court had missed – that “parental alienation” and interference with parent-child relationships constitute a form of “psychological kidnapping” that can seriously harm children’s emotional development. They recognized that Minnesota law protects the fundamental right of parents to maintain relationships with their children.

Most importantly, the appellate court ruled that the father was entitled to an evidentiary hearing where he could present his evidence and tell his story. No longer would his concerns be dismissed without proper consideration. The court had affirmed his right to be heard, his right to fight for his relationship with his children.

The decision brought him a profound sense of empowerment and hope. After months of feeling helpless and shut out, he finally had a path forward. The appellate court had recognized that substantial interference with parent-child relationships is not just harmful to parents – it’s harmful to children, who need and deserve relationships with both their parents.

As the father prepared for the evidentiary hearing that would finally allow him to present his case, he felt confident that justice would prevail. The Court of Appeals had given him something invaluable – the opportunity to fight for his children’s wellbeing and his fundamental right as a parent to maintain a loving relationship with them.

The ruling represented more than just a legal victory; it was validation that his children’s emotional health mattered, that his role as their father was important, and that courts have a responsibility to protect parent-child relationships from interference. He could finally move forward with hope, knowing that the legal system would give him a fair chance to advocate for what was best for his children.

*This story is based on the true facts of the appellate court’s decision, but the personal experiences and emotions described are a fictional representation to bring the case to life.

Question: If the other parent is interfering with my time, can I ask the court for more custody?

Answer: Yes, interference with parenting time can serve as grounds for requesting a custody modification under Minnesota law, though such requests are not automatically granted and must meet specific legal standards established by both statute and case law. Blocking or interfering with court-ordered parenting time can be contempt of court and may be enough reason to change custody, but this must work together with other custody change requirements.

The Minnesota Legislature has explicitly recognized that “[p]roof of an unwarranted denial of or interference with duly established parenting time may constitute contempt of court and may be sufficient cause for reversal of custody.” Minn. Stat. § 518.175, subd. 6(i) (2025). However, this provision does not operate independently but must be interpreted alongside the custody modification requirements found in Minnesota Statutes section 518.18(d). See also Chafin v. Rude, 391 N.W.2d 882, 887 (Minn. Ct. App. 1986). Because this language appears in the remedies section of the parenting time statute, it must be coordinated with the broader custody modification framework rather than standing alone as an independent basis for custody changes.

Question: What remedies does the court have to give me if someone interferes with my parenting time?

Answer: Courts must give you make-up time when someone intentionally blocks your parenting time, and for repeated violations, they must make the other parent pay your costs and fees and can fine them up to $500 or change custody.

Minnesota’s current statutory framework provides a structured approach to addressing parenting time violations through escalating remedies. Under Minnesota Statutes section 518.175, subdivision 6(c)-(f) (2025), courts must award compensatory parenting time when they find that a parent has intentionally made court-ordered parenting time unavailable, unless providing such time conflicts with the child’s best interests. For repeated and intentional violations, courts must require reimbursement of costs and attorney fees, and may impose sanctions up to $500 or modify custody arrangements. Minn. Stat. § 518.175, subd. 6(e)(1)-(2) (2025). The statute specifically mandates that courts provide these stronger remedies, including potential custody modification, when they find repeated violations after a previous finding of interference. Minn. Stat. § 518.175, subd. 6(f) (2025).

Question: Does parenting time interference automatically mean I’ll get custody changed?

Answer: No, interference with parenting time alone doesn’t automatically change custody – courts must look at all the custody factors and consider what’s best for the child overall.

Minnesota appellate courts have clarified that parenting time interference alone does not automatically result in custody modification. In Sharp v. Sharp, 614 N.W.2d 260, 263 (Minn. Ct. App. 2000), the court held that while denial of parenting time is not controlling in a custody modification proceeding, it must be considered along with all other custody modification factors set out in Minnesota Statutes section 518.18. This interpretation ensures that courts examine the totality of circumstances rather than focusing solely on parenting time violations. Similarly, in Greendruck v. Greendruck, 381 N.W.2d 700 (Minn. Ct. App. 1986), the court held that a mother’s interference with the father’s visitation did not, by itself, justify a change of custody; the moving parent must also demonstrate that the change is necessary for the child’s welfare under section 518.18.

Question: Can severe interference with my relationship with my child be considered child endangerment?

Answer: Yes, recent court decisions have said that serious interference with a parent-child relationship can count as endangering the child, which means courts must hold hearings to consider custody changes.

These recent decisions in Minnesota case law have expanded the potential impact of severe parenting time interference. In Amarreh v. Amarreh, 918 N.W.2d 228, 232-33 (Minn. Ct. App. 2018), the Minnesota Court of Appeals held that interference with a parent-child relationship can, by itself, rise to the level of statutory endangerment, requiring courts to hold evidentiary hearings on modification motions based on alleged denial and interference with parenting time. This decision suggests that severe interference may carry greater weight in custody determinations than previously recognized. 

Question: What do I need to prove to get custody changed because of parenting time interference?

Answer: You must prove that the interference is a major change since your original custody order and that changing custody would be better for your child, with the interference being ongoing, intentional, and unjustified.

To successfully obtain a custody modification based on parenting time interference, you must demonstrate that the interference constitutes a substantial change in circumstances since the original custody order and that modification serves the child’s best interests under Minnesota Statutes section 518.18(d). The interference must be persistent, intentional, and unwarranted rather than isolated incidents. Courts will not order remedies under section 518.175, subdivision 6 if they make written findings that the denial or interference was necessary to protect a child’s physical or emotional health. Minn. Stat. § 518.175, subd. 6(g) (2025).

Question: What should I do if someone is interfering with my parenting time?

Answer: Document every violation carefully and first ask for the basic remedies like make-up time and cost reimbursement, then if the interference continues, you can request a custody change.

Parents experiencing parenting time interference should document each violation thoroughly and initially seek relief through the remedies provided in Minnesota Statutes section 518.175, such as compensatory parenting time under subdivision 6(d) and cost reimbursement under subdivision 6(e). If the interference pattern continues despite court intervention, a custody modification request under Minnesota Statutes section 518.18 may be appropriate, particularly when the interference demonstrates that the current custody arrangement no longer serves the child’s best interests or threatens the child’s relationship with the non-custodial parent.