Most parents do not imagine themselves in a nasty divorce proceeding. However, almost 50 percent of couples will separate, and most of those couples have children. In the worst case, there is a possibility that one parent will try to isolate you from your children throughout the court process.
Some parents resort to parental alienation, a technique where an alienating parent turns a child against the other parent by excessively presenting negative views of the target parent. They may use name-calling, negative mishaps and false accusations to shape the child’s perception of the target parent.
A living nightmare
Being the target of parental alienation is one of the most painful experiences a parent can go through. You must balance your parental responsibilities while fighting the negative manipulation happening from your co-parent.
Luckily, there are ways to fight parental alienation during your separation:
- Identify the severity of the alienation by having an open conversation with your children about their thoughts and emotions surrounding you and your co-parent
- Seek professional help from a family therapist, or child protective services if it’s severe
- Establish a shared parenting system where there is a legal presumption that both parents have parental responsibilities
- Use the court system to hold a parent accountable if they try to withhold time with children (or violate the shared parenting system)
There are times when you aren’t dealing with parental alienation in your custody case, but you know that your co-parent is sabotaging your relationship with your children. You need to work with the legal system to ensure you have the opportunity to be present in your child’s life.
WARNING: THIS IS A GENERAL DISCUSSION OF LAW AND IS NOT INTENDED TO BE LEGAL ADVICE. FOR ANY LEGAL QUESTIONS PLEASE CONTACT OUR OFFICE AND SPEAK TO AN ATTORNEY.
