My mother is nuts. My girlfriend's mother is nuts too, and doesn't like me very much. My mother being crazy, she always makes up laws, and I...

Question

My mother is nuts. My girlfriend's mother is nuts too, and doesn't like me very much. My mother being crazy, she always makes up laws, and I'm wondering if these two things she said are legal. One: Can a parent legally control their child's relationship, allowing it or not? And second: Do you need a legal REASON to set a restraining order?

Answer

You do not state how old you are so I am going to assume you are under 18 and are still a minor living in your parents' home. A parent has the right to restrict contact between her child and other children. So your mother can restrict your relationships to some degree. However, there is no law that says if you do not obey her wishes, she can put you in jail. She can do other things to restrict your behavior.

To get a protective order, your mother must show the person is a threat or danger to you. Merely being someone she does not want you to associate with will not get a protective order.

I am not sure why your mother and your girl friend's mother do not like each other's child but I would suggest you get to the bottom of the issue with your mother and your girlfriend do the same thing with her mother. Otherwise, the discord will continue until someone's parent decides to do something that could hurt either you or your girlfriend or both of you.

Good Luck. Once you are 18 legally your mother has no control of what you do. Financially, that may be a different story.