Parental Alienation

Protecting Your Parental Rights

It is no secret that divorce can get ugly and, when a couple shares children, the stakes are even higher and spouses do not always do what is in the best interests of their young ones. Parental alienation occurs when one parent attempts to poison their children against the other parent. Although this behavior is often done out of spite and vengeance against the former spouse, it is incredibly damaging to the children involved. If you suspect your spouse is engaging in parental alienation, contact the team at The Hunter Law Group for the skilled legal assistance you need to protect your rights as a parent.

Contact The Hunter Law Group in Mission Viejo today at (888) 844-9281 to schedule an initial case review with our family law attorney.

Recognizing the Signs of Parental Alienation

It can be difficult to recognize the subtler signs of parental alienation, especially since your children might already be acting differently as they attempt to cope with the changes brought on by the divorce.

There are some signs you should look out for, which often indicate parental alienation:

• Your children try to exclude you from their lives. For example, if they are involved in sports, they might ask you not to come to any of their games.

• Your children behave defiantly toward you, despite never having exhibited this sort of behavior before. You might find yourself arguing with them more often than usual and they might even try to provoke bigger reactions out of you.

• Your children refuse to acknowledge the relationship you previously had with them.

• Your children claim that alienating you was their idea and zealously protect their other parent against any accusations of turning them against you.

• Your children appear to have a very co-dependent relationship with their other parent and might even adopt many of his or her ideologies and behavioral patterns.

• Your children will become increasingly more isolated from other sources of support, such as extended members of your family and family friends. These acts of isolation are often done to further nurture a more co-dependent relationship.

What You Need to Do

Parental alienation is becoming more widely recognized and is even considered a form of emotional abuse. To take action, you need to begin documenting incidents of parental alienation. To accomplish this, make sure your correspondence with your ex-spouse is always done in writing, so you have proof of denials of visitation. You should also start a journal to document any red flags you might recognize or changes in your children’s behavior.

You should also seek the assistance of an experienced family law attorney who can help build your case. It can be difficult to prove parental alienation on your own, so contact an attorney at The Hunter Law Group to develop the strategy that will best protect your parental rights.

Schedule a Case Review with a Mission Viejo Child Custody Attorney

If you suspect your ex-spouse is trying to alienate your children from you, contact The Hunter Law Group for the legal representation and compassionate advice you deserve during this trying time.

Call our law office at (888) 844-9281 to schedule an initial case review and find out more about what our experienced team can do for you!