If you are divorcing your spouse or ending a relationship that resulted in children, your focus may be on obtaining a fair custody and visitation plan where both parents are able to see their children and fulfill their needs. While in the best situation parents will work together to achieve this, you do not have control over your children’s other parent and even if this is the approach you would like to take, he or she may not be on board.
This can understandably make the process of creating a custody and visitation plan difficult. When a parent takes it too far and it reaches the point where it is considered parental alienation, it can be harmful to the children as well. But just what is parental alienation?
In short, it is when a parent does or says things about the other parent that are unfair and that in turn could be detrimental to the emotional well-being of the child or harmful to the relationship the young person has with her mother or father. Among other things, a parent may make it difficult for children to communicate with the other parent or speak disparagingly about the other parent in front of the child.
If you are facing this situation in your child custody and visitation matter, it is important that you have someone on your side who understands how to deal with it. We have handled cases involving parental alienation in the past and may be able to help you as well. For more information please see our website.