Divorce, especially those that involve children, can become incredibly hostile. In the aftermath, you may still butt heads with your former spouse, and you might even worry that your children are being turned against you. Parental alienation can occur in varying degrees. Some situations may be relatively mild while others may be so severe that it may impact the child custody agreement if it can be proven in court. Continue reading to learn more about the signs of parental alienation.
Parental Alienation – Spotting the Red Flags
When one parent attempts to discredit the other to harm the parent-child bond, this is known as parental alienation. In severe cases, the children may have a completely altered perception of the alienated parent, which may result in their refusal to interact with or speak to that parent. Parental alienation occurs over time, so it is important to recognize the signs as early as possible.
Here are some of the red flags you should look out for:
- Your children tend to unfairly criticize you without offering any kind of examples or evidence to justify it. In many cases, they use words or reasonings that sound too adult for them.
- Your children do not feel guilty about their attitude toward you.
- Your children’s negative feelings toward you extend to other family members related to you, such as grandparents and cousins.
- Your children know unnecessary details about your divorce that you did not share with them and should have remained between you and your former spouse.
- Your former spouse allows your children to make a choice about visitation and, when you try to enforce it, your children become even more critical of you.
- Your former spouse attempts to plan activities with the children during your scheduled visitation.
- Your former spouse tries to keep important child-related information a secret, such as activities you may want to partake in, which makes you appear uninterested in your children’s lives.
If you notice a few of these red flags in your own situation, your children may be suffering from parental alienation syndrome. Speak with an experienced family law attorney about this serious matter as soon as possible to strategize and protect your parental rights.
Reach Out to Our Compassionate Family Law Team for Experienced Legal Representation
After a divorce, families may still encounter some difficulties that require legal attention. If your former spouse is alienating the children from you, you should hire an experienced legal professional to handle your case. At the Law Office of Tzvi Y. Hagler, P.C., our family law attorney is committed to providing compassionate legal guidance and support.
Call our law office today at (516) 514-3868 to set up an initial consultation and learn more about what we can do for you.
