Dealing with Parental Alienation (Part II)

Handling Parental Alienation Is Not Easy. Contact A Family Law Lawyer Chicago Today.

Being the object of acts of parental alienation can make a parent feel helpless and without any recourse. Not only are the parent’s rights being assaulted by the other parent, but the child him- or herself will appear to be opposed to the alienated parent. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to address alienating behavior being committed by the other parent before irreparable damage to the parent-child relationship occurs.

What To Do If You Feel the Other Parent is Attempting to Alienate Your Child from You

It is vital that you take prompt action if you suspect the other parent is attempting to cause a rift between you and your child or children. The longer you allow alienating behaviors to continue, the deeper the divide between your children and you will grow. If left unchecked, you may find that your relationship with your children will be damaged for many years – perhaps even after your children turn 18 years of age.

Instead of ignoring the problem or hoping it will go away on its own, consider taking one or more of the following steps to address the alienating behavior:

1.     Bring the matter to the other parent’s attention. Perhaps the other parent is unaware that there is a rift between your children and you and/or is unaware that his or her behavior is causing alienation. Be specific and factual: Communicate with the other parent what behaviors you have seen or comments you have heard from your children and work together for a solution. Establish ground rules that you each will agree to follow in order to reduce alienation.
2.     Communicate with your children. Do not talk about the other parent’s bad behavior with your children nor disparage the other parent in front of your children. Instead, you should communicate with your children as often as possible. Remind them that you love them and are committed to them, even if your children do not appear to reciprocate.
3.     File a motion with the court. If you cannot resolve the matter with the other parent between the two of you, you may need to file a motion and bring the alienating behavior to the attention of the court. You may need to provide evidence or testimony that the behavior has occurred, so be certain to save any text messages, e-mails, or other communications of which you are aware. If any other individuals have heard or witnessed the other parent engage in alienating behavior, be certain to have these people available to testify. The court can enter enforceable orders directing the offending parent to cease the alienating behavior.

Whatever you do, do not repay bad behavior with bad behavior. Instead, contact Arami Law and the firm’s Cook County family law attorneys for help. We will help you attempt to resolve instances of parental alienation quickly to minimize any harm to your relationship with your children. Contact our experienced family law attorneys for help by calling (312) 212-1399 or by filling out our online form.