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Atlanta Parental Alienation Attorneys
Parental Alienation and Child Custody in Georgia
Child custody cases are complex enough on their own. Numerous factors can impact the result of a case, but few situations are more challenging to endure than custody problems, parental rights, and the situations involving alienation.
Nobody expects to endure this complicated situation, but it does happen. Below, we’ll explain what parental alienation is, how it plays a role in cases involving the custody of children, and what you can do to protect your family during trying times.
What is Parental Alienation?
This is a situation that occurs more often than you may think when parents decide to get a divorce. At its very core, there are many forms that can occur, but the most common involves one parent demeaning and talking the other parent down in a negative way. Some of the ways this occurs is through the following actions:
- Disrespecting the other parent:One parent may tell the children something bad about the other parent, including calling them names and lying to the children about certain situations. This may also involve telling the child that the other parent doesn’t care about them in an effort to damage the other parent’s relationship with the child.
- Failing to provide information:One parent may fail to inform the other parent of certain events in the child’s life. For instance, if the child has a school event or is receiving an award, the custodial parent may not tell the other parent, forcing him or her to miss it. This can strain the parent’s relationship with the child.
- Lying to children:The custodial parent may try to limit parenting time from the non-custodial parent and tell the children that the other parent didn’t want to see them. It’s an attempt to try and break the bond between parent and children.
At the end of the day, these actions hurt the children more than anything. It causes a strained relationship between the non-custodial parent and the children that can be challenging to overcome. For the non-custodial parent, it’s critical to recognize when this is happening in a high conflict child custody case and work with a lawyer to overcome it.
When Does it Happen?
These situations often happen in divorce cases, but there are some matters when the parents were never married. In these matters, the mother may try to deny the father rights. In these situations, the father may use legitimation to pursue parenting time, custody, or visitation. This goes above a basic acknowledgement of paternity.
What You Can Do About It
It’s difficult to think about your relationship with your child encountering issues because of the actions of the other parent. Unfortunately, there are so many issues involved and lies can cause conflict between parents and their children.
It’s critical for parents to recognize the signs that could indicate this situation is occurring:
- You may notice that your child is less talkative and not telling you much about his or her life anymore. The child may keep secrets from you or fail to invite you to certain activities because they believe something that is untrue about you.
- You may notice your child asking certain questions that are out of the ordinary. They may be trying to confirm something they heard from their custodial parent. Be upfront and honest with your child about anything they may ask.
- You may notice your child acting much differently around you. They’ll be hesitant to discuss certain things with you if the other parent provided false information about the situation.
- You may notice that your child is having difficulty at school. The problems between you and his or her other parent may damage the ability to focus in school, resulting in declining grades and other social troubles.
If you encounter the difficult situation involving parental alienation, it’s crucial for you to have legal representation to protect your rights as a parent. One of the most effective things you can do is work with an Atlanta child custody attorney from our team at Atlanta Family Law Group LLC. We’ll be by your side every step of the way.
We work hard to communicate your rights and options throughout the course of your case to best protect your rights. We’re passionate about parental rights because we know how difficult it can be. We strongly believe that good parents deserve as much time with their children as possible. Ending a romantic relationship does not have to jeopardize your relationships with your children. Trust that we’ll provide you with the compassionate and empowering advocacy you need to move forward.