Parental Alienation

Parental alienation arises almost exclusively in the context of child custody situations and is when a child, without justification, allies himself or herself strongly with one parent (the preferred or favored parent) and rejects a relationship with the other parent (the alienated or rejected parent). The rejection does not have legitimate justification and is often spurred on by the efforts of the “favored parent”. Parental alienation causes the alienated parent emotional stress causing the injured party to not have a relationship with their child.

Behavior often seen by the parents in such cases include failure to allow child to transport their belongings back and forth, asking the child to choose one parent over another, one parent asking the child about the personal life of the other parent, one parent being hurt if the child spends time with the other parent, one parent eavesdropping on phone calls the child has with the other parent, and one parent blaming the other for financial problems.

The children in these cases are often consumed with hatred for the alienated parent, they often demonstrate idealized support of the preferred parent and will side with this parent no matter how baseless the parent’s behaviors. The rejection of the alienated parent often spreads to extended family. In our view, this type of fueled fire is child abuse causing a lifetime of psychological harm to the child.

If you suspect that your child is being purposefully alienated from you, call our offices and speak to one of our Father’s Rights attorneys. The courts are familiar with this syndrome and do not take interference with the parental relationship lightly. Parental alienation is a cause for action. We will refer you to a custody expert to assist you in establishing parental alienation. If you feel your child is being alienated from you, contact Aretsky Law Group, P.C., at 800-537-4154 and set up your free consultation at one of our meeting locations across New Jersey. Let us help you set up a strategy and fight for your rights and the rights of your child.