Child custody cases can quickly become heated. After all, parents can have negative animosity toward each other, and each can think that they know what’s best for their child, even if their point of view diverges from the other parent’s. While these disputes can be stressful enough, the matter can take a turn for the worse when allegations of parental alienation are made. If you wind up on the receiving end of them, then you need to know how to aggressively fight back so that you can protect the time you get to spend with your child and your relationship with them.
What is parental alienation?
Simply put, parental alienation occurs when one parent tries to manipulate the child and the existing custody arrangement to distance the child from their other parent and create justifications for custody modification. There are many ways alienation can occur, too. It could be as simple as one parent falsely telling the child that their other parent doesn’t love them, or it may involve scheduling fun activities for the child during the other parent’s scheduled visitation so as to paint that other parent in a bad light if they choose to exercise their right to visitation and remove the child from the activity that they love. In some instance, false allegations of abuse or neglect are made.
How can you defend yourself against allegations of parental alienation?
Being accused of parental alienation might leave you on your heels as you come under attack. But don’t let the other parent get the best of you in your custody case. Instead, consider taking the following steps to counter their assertions, protect yourself and shield your child’s best interests:
- Present evidence that counters the other parent’s assertions: In a custody case involving allegations of parental alienation, the other parent is bound to make assertions that either misconstrue the facts or outright lie about them. You have to be able to counter with compelling evidence. So, consider whether there are witnesses who can speak to the bond you have with your child and how you act with care towards them. Also consider whether there’s any documentation that may directly contradict what the other parent claims to be true.
- Highlight the other parent’s motives: If the other parent falsely accuses you of alienation, then they’re probably doing so for a reason. They may be hurt by your divorce or acts that have occurred in the past, or they might be upset that you’re in a new relationship. Either way, if you can show that the other parent is biased, has a history of being dishonest or has been inconsistent in their statements, then you can undermine their credibility and destroy the allegations that they’ve made.
- Consider a professional evaluation: There are multiple ways to have your child and your circumstances evaluated. You could have your child visit a mental health professional who may be able to better gauge how they feel about spending time with each parent, or you can request a full-blown child custody evaluation where a third-party observes parenting time, interviews the parents and the child and analyzes other collateral information to determine what sort of child custody arrangement is best for the child. This professional help could be pivotal to the outcome in your custody case.
Don’t let false allegation harm your child
Parental alienation can be incredibly harmful to your child and the relationship that you have with them. With so much on the line, you have to build an aggressive child custody case to beat back the false allegations that’ve been made. That can be a daunting task, but it’s one that you don’t have to face alone. Instead, you can discuss the matter with a professional to develop the best legal strategy possible under the circumstances.