The divorce process is a particularly emotional and stressful time for all involved. A parent’s divorce can be a very damaging process for a child, one that is made even more so when one or both parent(s) do not take the child’s emotional well-being into consideration by attempting to cause a deliberate rift between the other parent and child. This rift could be caused by parental alienation.
Parental alienation occurs when a child expresses feelings of unjustified dislike or even hate towards one parent. These feelings are often the result of derogatory or hurtful comments made by one parent against the other.
When a couple divorces, both parents need to take their children’s emotional well-being into consideration, and when one parent acts in an uncooperative and unhelpful manner by attempting to alienate his children from the other parent, this is unacceptable in the eyes of the law.
Children should not be used as pawns and placed in situations where they hear demeaning statements about either parent. If your ex-spouse is deliberately causing a rift between you and your children by making unkind or untrue statements, or by blocking your access to them, it is time to contact your family law attorney to deal with the situation.
A parent’s unreasonable behavior can cause emotional damage to their children by affecting not only their relationship with the other parent, but by causing difficulty in future adult relationships as well. The court recognizes the rights of the children as the most important of all in a custody case.
When your ex-spouse is deliberately attempting to cause a rift in your relationship with your children, a Florida family law attorney can file a motion for contempt to stop your exes’ behavior. If the parental alienation behavior does not cease, a child custody modification and visitation order may be served.