parent's custody rights? I have a friend who was referred to as mentally unstable by a person (a Mormon stake president, who's also a divorce lawyer) who heard it 3rd hand. He went on to say that my friend's mother is mentally unstable, and that my friend's 2 other sisters are likewise mentally unstable, implying this is inherited. I went directly to his source and the person he cited stated the assertion to be untrue.

That you are not all that OK in head Man that sucks they are saying that about your friend.

Please...a lawyer? Do you know how many lawyer jokes there are out there? What do you call 500 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean? A good start!

That being said, the only person who can make a medical diagnosis of mental instability is a doctor. There has to be a proven fact in court before a parent's custodial rights can be determined, not just an allegation.

A person that is mentally unstable is not mentally well. They aren't capable of making sane rational decisions. If a parent is legally found to be mentally unstable then they most likely will not be given custody of any children.