What is Parental Alienation?

The heated emotions and resentment for the other party is unfortunately common in divorces. It’s easy to forget that there is perhaps no more sensitive party to these negative emotions than a child caught in the crossfire of this divorce case. Sometimes, this anger can cause one parent to act rashly and start trying to sabotage their child’s relationship with the other parent, either intentionally or unintentionally. When the child starts acting negatively to the other parent, this is known as parental alienation.

Common Signs of Parental Alienation

Fostering parental alienation in a divorce case is illegal, and if courts find out about it, they will often intervene quickly to try to stop it from getting worse. This could have serious ramifications on the outcome of your divorce as well if you are found to be encouraging this alienation.

If you feel as though your child is acting negatively towards you during your divorce, and you see any of the following signs, you should consult with your attorney regarding possible parental alienation as soon as possible.

• Interprets your actions as being done with sinister motives
• Refuses to listen to anything that contradicts the alienating parent’s side of the story
• Makes statements that appear coached, but denies coaching by alienating parent
• Black-and-white view of parents (all-good or all-bad, nothing in between)
• Treats alienated parent worse when alienating parent is around, but becomes more normal when they are alone with alienated parent

These are just a few signs the child may exhibit. There are also tell-tale clues that a parent can give which tip off that they may be attempting to target their ex to have them removed from their child’s life. If you see any of these signs, you should bring up the issue with your attorney.

• Scheduling activities during other parent’s visitation time
• Letting child decide about visits
• Using the child as a “messenger,” or putting them in the middle of your fights
• Voicing concern for the child’s safety when in the targeted parent’s care
• Downplaying or not wanting to hear about positive experiences the child has with the targeted parent

Your attorney will want to intervene in the event of parental alienation as soon as possible. This can do serious psychological damage to a child and cause them to experience mental issues for a long time going forward unless you are able to act quickly to restore your relationship.

Do you feel as though you have been the victim of parental alienation in your divorce? Discuss your case with a Louisville family lawyer from Winner Law Group, LLC as soon as possible. We understand the volatile and emotionally-charged nature of family law, and we work to help you come to a fair and successful outcome that can give you the best future after your issue is resolved. We understand that your rights need to be protected throughout this process, and we fiercely represent you through your case from start to finish using our experienced and tested method of litigation and negotiation.