Parental Alienation

Long Island Divorce & Family Law Attorneys  

Has your child started to act differently towards you?  Does he or she seem more withdrawn and sullen?  Does your child wish to limit the amount of time he or she spends with you?  If these scenarios sound familiar, parental alienation could be to blame.  

Parental alienation is a situation in which one parent tries to alienate a child from his or her other parent by brainwashing the child into holding negative feelings or opinions towards that parent.  Parental alienation occurs when a parent tries to manipulate his or her children's emotions, convincing them that their other parent does not love them or want to spend time with them.  Blaming a divorce or separation on the other parent is also a form of parental alienation, as it may influence the opinion a child may have. 

Parents often use parental alienation to gain control during a divorce or child custody hearing.  When a child expresses his or her disinterest in spending time or maintaining a relationship with the other parent, the judge my severely limit the visitation time the other parent receives, and may even give sole custody to the parent who is manipulating the child.

Signs of Parental Alienation 

There are many signs you can look for that may indicate your child is being brainwashed by his or her other parent, such as:

• Your child is becoming more and more distant
• Your child wishes to spend less time with you
• Your child has started to blame you for the divorce or separation
• Your child seems angry at you all the time
• Your relationship with your child is becoming strained
• Some of things your child is saying sound too "adult" for his or her vocabulary.  This may be a sign that your child is simply reiterating something his or her other parent has said

Need Help? Contact Samuelson Hause & Samuelson

If you think your child is a victim of parental alienation, an experienced Long Island family law attorney at Samuelson Hause & Samuelson can be of assistance.  It's important to stop parental alienation as quickly as possible, as it can undoubtedly have a lasting negative impact on your child's future.   Children deserve to have a strong and loving relationship with both parents.  When one parent tries to compromise that relationship, steps should be taken to address the problem immediately.

To learn more about parental alienation, as well as your rights and options under the law, please contact a dedicated Long Island family lawyer at Samuelson Hause & Samuelson today!