Parental Alienation Attorney In Bloomfield Hills
Last updated on April 8, 2026
Parental alienation occurs when one parent manipulates a child to reject the other parent without justification. This psychological manipulation damages the parent-child relationship and harms children who need healthy connections with both parents.
A parental alienation lawyer in Bloomfield Hills can help restore damaged parental bonds and protect children from ongoing manipulation.
Attorney Lisa D. Stern has over 30 years of experience handling complex custody cases involving parental alienation. She represents parents throughout Metro Detroit and beyond who are being pushed out of their children’s lives or falsely accused of alienation.
Michigan Law And Willingness To Facilitate Relationships
Michigan custody decisions are guided by the 12 best interest factors under MCL 722.23. Factor (j) specifically addresses each parent’s willingness to facilitate a close relationship between the child and the other parent. Courts view a parent’s efforts to undermine the other parent’s relationship with the child as contrary to the child’s best interests.
A parent who actively interferes with parenting time, makes disparaging comments about the other parent in front of the child or creates obstacles to communication demonstrates unwillingness to facilitate the relationship. Courts can modify custody based on this factor when interference is substantial and ongoing.
Legal Remedies For Alienation
Courts have several tools to address custody interference in Michigan. Modification of custody is possible when one parent’s alienating behavior violates factor (j) under MCL 722.23. Courts may also order reunification therapy to repair damaged parent-child relationships under professional guidance. In severe cases, courts may restrict the alienating parent’s decision-making authority or reduce their parenting time.
Common Questions About Parental Alienation
Parents experiencing alienation or facing accusations often have urgent questions about their legal options. These are concerns attorney Stern addresses with clients in Oakland County.
What are the ‘eight symptoms’ of parental alienation in custody disputes?
Common symptoms of parental alienation include:
- The child’s unjustified rejection of a parent
- Lack of ambivalence, where the child sees one parent as all good and one as all bad
- The child’s explanations that echo the alienating parent’s language
- The child claiming decisions are their own when clearly influenced
- Automatic support for the alienating parent in conflicts
- Absence of guilt about mistreating the rejected parent
- Borrowed scenarios where the child describes events they could not have witnessed
- Animosity spreading to the rejected parent’s extended family
These patterns distinguish alienation from justified estrangement due to actual parental misconduct.
Can I change custody in Michigan if the other parent is turning my child against me?
Yes. Michigan courts have the authority to change custody arrangements when one parent undermines factor (j) by blocking or damaging the child’s bond with the other parent. Successful modification requires proving that circumstances have changed significantly since the original order and that altering custody benefits the child.
Protect Your Parental Rights
Parental alienation cases require experienced legal representation to navigate complex custody evaluations and present compelling evidence. Lisa D. Stern provides the advocacy parents need when facing alienation or false accusations. Her three decades of family law experience includes representing parents in high-conflict custody disputes.
Contact Lisa D. Stern at 248-973-7842 or online to discuss your situation. Virtual consultations are available for parents throughout Bloomfield Hills and Metro Detroit.
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