The government may try to limit your movements and restrict who you can socialize with during the coronavirus pandemic — but can your ex?

I spoke with a Brooklyn mom whose controlling ex husband wanted her to sign a social distancing contract: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/amberjamieson/coronavirus-social-distancing-contracts-divorce-parents

We know the importance of social distancing. But the pandemic also offers a chance for ppl to control exes under the veneer of safety.

“I had distanced myself from him, and it feels like the government is saying I can only be with him and my children," the mom told me.

The coronavirus has put everyone on edge. And if you're in a high-conflict relationship with your former partner over your children!?!?

“This pandemic really created the perfect storm for someone who wants to just fight,” matrimonial lawyer Alton Abramowitz told me.

A pandemic parenting plan and social distancing agreement may make sense — such as if one parent is an essential worker. "What seemed 'overcontrolling' might be appropriate," divorce lawyer Katherine Miller said. "What seemed 'appropriate' might be reckless these days."

But it's important for courts and lawyers to be aware of how the pandemic amplified abusive relationships and how people can use a social distancing contract to do it. “He’s using the pandemic to not let us make any plans,” the Brooklyn mom told me. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/amberjamieson/coronavirus-social-distancing-contracts-divorce-parents