Montclair Parental Alienation

Parental alienation is oftentimes considered a form of emotional child abuse. It is a tactic that one parent uses to destroy or undermine the other parent’s relationship with their child. It can cause serious damage to the children involved, including lasting psychological and emotional harm. Many parents don’t realize that their child is being manipulated by their ex until it is too late and the once loving relationship with their child is suddenly breaking down. If you suspect that your child is the victim of parental alienation, it is imperative that you consult with an experienced Montclair Parental Alienation Attorney right away in order to protect your parental rights and the best interests of your child.

As mentioned above, parental alienation might not be very easy to identify until it is too late. If your child is acting out or refusing to spend time with you, it might just be that they are emotional or upset about the separation or divorce, or that they are dealing with the moods and emotions one experiences when they grow older. But if you think that your ex-partner might be manipulating your child or making disparaging comments about you in front of your child, your child might be experiencing parental alienation.

Some other signs of parental alienation can include:

• Your ex is making negative comments about you and your actions in front of or to your child;
• Your ex and thus your child blame you for the separation or divorce;
• Your child is engaging in rebellious behavior around you;
• Your child is angry at you and does not have any good reasons for why they are angry;
• Your child does not want to visit you or refuses to speak with you;
• Your ex is preventing your child from visiting with you;
• Your ex is over-scheduling your child so that your child does not have any available time to spend with you;
• Your ex is asking your child to choose one parent over the other;
• Your ex is denying you access to your child’s medical or school records;
• Your ex is listening in on your phone calls with your child;
• Your ex is asking your child to divulge personal details about your life or asking your child to spy on you.

If these or other signs and symptoms are present and you feel as though your relationship with your child is suffering, then your child may be experiencing parental alienation. What drives one parent to damage your relationship with your child is oftentimes unclear, but it is possible that your ex might have unresolved anger towards you, or perhaps your ex has mental health issues such as a personality disorder, unresolved childhood issues, or a narcissistic disorder that is causing them to manipulate your child. Either way, if your child is being harmed by the manipulative behavior of your ex, you should seriously consider stepping in to stop it so as to avoid any lasting and damaging effects on your child and your relationship.

If you suspect that your ex is manipulating your child and making disparaging comments about you in front of your child, it is important that you act right away. If you have an informal custody arrangement, you should hire an experienced Montclair Parental Alienation Lawyer to help you obtain a formal order that sets forth parenting time, and that determines physical custody of your child. A formal order can help ensure that you have designated time to spend with your child.

If your ex violates the custody order, they can be subject to sanctions. These sanctions can include requirements that your ex pays for your court costs and attorney’s fees, that they pay for family counselling sessions, and that they attend their own therapy sessions or parenting classes. In addition to sanctions, a judge can also make either temporary or permanent changes to the custody order as long as they are made in the best interest of the child. These modifications can include changing which parent has primary custody of the child and changing the location of where a child is picked up or dropped off. A judge can also order compensatory parenting time which essentially is make-up visitation time if the judge determines that your ex prevented you from seeing your child for an unreasonable amount of time.

Is your spouse manipulating your child and/or making disparaging comments about you to your child? Is your relationship with your child suffering as a result? If so, 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 our Montclair, N.J. meeting location by appointment only.