Pine Brook Parental Alienation

Divorce can be a tumultuous and emotional experience for everyone involved, and especially for children. Although many children may naturally act peculiar or lash out as they try to cope with their emotions and changing family dynamics, emotional behaviors and responses can also be the result of one parent’s intentional interference with and manipulation of the child to reject their other parent. This type of manipulation is a type of emotional child abuse that is known as parental alienation, and unfortunately, some parents engage in this conduct in order to gain the upper hand in a child custody dispute and/or to try to cut you out of your child’s life.

If you think that your child is a victim of parental alienation, it is imperative that you get in touch with an experienced Pine Brook Parental Alienation Lawyer as soon as possible. At Aretsky Law Group, P.C., our attorneys have the skills and knowledge necessary to help protect your relationship with your child and to advocate for your parental rights.

As mentioned above, parental alienation is a type of abuse where one parent engages in conduct that belittles, insults, or rejects the other parent and encourages their child to do the same. Many manipulated children are made to believe that they should not have a relationship with the targeted parent, and thus these children distance themselves from their parent and in some cases completely stop communicating with them. Some indicators of parental alienation include:

• Your ex or your child falsely accuse you of neglect or abuse;
• Your ex denies or otherwise interferes with your parenting time schedule;
• Your ex blames you for the separation or divorce, and your child begins to believe the same;
• Your ex asks your child to spy on you and to report details of your personal life;
• Your ex asks your child to choose one parent over the other;
• Your child acts angry or engages in rebellious behavior for no apparent reason;
• Your ex acts negatively to your child if they have a good time with you.

In some instances, children merely misbehave or are upset because emotions run high when their parents are going through a separation or divorce. But when one parent actively interferes with their child’s relationship with the other parent, the effects can have a lasting and damaging effect on a child’s emotional and psychological well-being. Fortunately, with a combination of documentation, understanding, and support, therapy, and strong legal advocacy, your relationship with your child and your parental rights can be preserved and protected.

If you think that your child is being manipulated by your ex to think that you are the “bad” parent, it is important that you take steps to document every instance where your ex either denies or interferes with access to your child, your child acts out or refuses to see or speak to you, and/or any time your child indicates that your ex has been making disparaging comments about you in front of them. You should also seriously consider contacting an experienced Pine Brook Parental Alienation Attorney as soon as possible in order to protect your parental rights and those of your child. If parental alienation is left unchecked, a child’s emotional and psychological well-being can suffer, and you risk irreparable damage to your relationship with your child. A knowledgeable attorney can advocate for your parenting time rights and help to keep your relationship with your child intact for the betterment of all parties involved.

While not all judges believe that parental alienation is an actual syndrome that affects children, judges are required to act in accordance with the best interests of the child. So, if one parent is actively interfering with your relationship by denying your access to your child, overscheduling your child so that you cannot visit your child, or because of the interference and manipulation, your child no longer wants to have a relationship with you, a judge may reprimand the interfering parent for failing to adhere to custody orders. In some cases, a judge will either make temporary or permanent changes to a custody order, and in other cases, a judge will penalize the interfering parent by making them pay for therapy costs and other expenses. No matter your situation, if you suspect parental alienation, be sure to contact an attorney today.

If you suspect that your child is suffering from Parental Alienation Syndrome because of your ex’s manipulative actions, it is important that you contact Aretsky Law Group, P.C., today by calling 800-537-4154 to schedule your initial consultation at our Pine Brook, N.J. meeting location by appointment only.