Monmouth County Parental Alienation

If you ask a lawyer, therapist, or psychologist what the definition of parental alienation is, you might get a variety of answers. However, the basic gist of parental alienation is that one parent is taking steps to manipulate their child and isolate them from their other parent either through conduct or words that are meant to create division and even hostility towards the other parent. If you think that your child might be a victim of parental alienation, which can be considered a form of emotional child abuse, it is imperative that you consult with an experienced Monmouth County Parental Alienation Lawyer as parental alienation can lead to a lifetime of psychological damage to your child and can ruin any relationship you have with your child. Call the dedicated lawyers at the Aretsky Law Group, P.C., today to discuss your case.

When it comes to parental alienation, one of the first warning signs that it is occurring is that your ex-partner is making disparaging and negative comments about you either in front of or to your child. Some additional ways that disparagement can happen include:

• Your ex is talking to your child about the divorce and is blaming you for the separation and divorce;
• Your ex might be lying to your child and telling them that you don’t love them and don’t want to see them;
• Your ex may openly criticize your actions in front of your child;
• Your ex allows others, such as grandparents or aunts and uncles, to make negative or disparaging comments about you in front of your child;
• When it comes to the divorce, your ex may be portraying you as the bad parent in the situation.

In addition to disparagement, there may be other signs that your child is a victim of parental alienation. Some of these signs and symptoms include:

• Your child refuses to visit with you or even talk to you on the phone;
• Your child starts to act rebellious and is angry at you for no apparent reason;
• Your child calls you names and blames you for the divorce.

It is possible that these signs and symptoms might simply indicate that your child is upset and emotional about the separation and divorce, or perhaps the emotions are the result of typical teenage angst. However, if you think that your ex is manipulating your child so that your child is acting out and your relationship with your child is suffering, then it may be something more. If you think your child is a victim of parental alienation, it is important that you control your own emotions, to support your child, and to do something about it in order to protect your parental rights and the best interests of your child.

First of all, you should really take the situation seriously. Parental alienation can damage your relationship with your child sometimes to the point that it will be irreparable. Furthermore, your child can suffer lasting psychological harm. Accordingly, it is imperative that you hire a Monmouth County Parental Alienation Lawyer who has extensive experience dealing with child custody and parental alienation situations. If you do not have a formal custody order or parenting plan in place, an attorney can help you obtain one. A formal order is important particularly if your ex is preventing your child from seeing you. An order can set forth a custody and parenting time plan with which your ex must comply. If you do have a custody order in place, but your ex is failing to adhere to the order, an attorney can assist you with filing a motion to enforce the order. If a judge determines that your ex is interfering with your relationship with your child, they may make either permanent or temporary changes to the custody order such as changing who the child primarily lives with, who picks up or drops off the child, and may even order compensatory parenting time if the judge finds that your ex unreasonably denied you access to your child for a period of time. In addition to making changes to the custody order, if the judge finds that your ex was failing to adhere to the order, they can also penalize your ex by making them pay for your court costs and attorney’s fees, or making them pay for family counseling.

If you think that parental alienation is adversely affecting your relationship with your child, contact the Aretsky Law Group, P.C, today. Our attorneys have the knowledge and the resources that are necessary to assist you with your parental alienation situation. Contact Aretsky Law Group, P.C. by calling 800-537-4154 to discuss your case and schedule a consultation at one of our Monmouth County meeting locations by appointment only.