Ada Parental Alienation Lawyer - Kraayeveld Family Law

In some relationships, one parent may want to exercise an unreasonable amount of control of the welfare of the children, and when the parties separate, such a parent’s control may turn into alienation. This is known as parental alienation. It can have devastating consequences, including the loss of a parent-child relationship or adverse effects on the child’s mental health.

If you believe your co-parent is trying to damage or fully destroy your relationship with your shared child(ren), Kraayeveld Family Law is standing by to help. Our law firm has over 30 years of success in handling and resolving sensitive family law matters with care, compassion, tenacity, and personal attention. Contact us today for an initial case review with a parental alienation lawyer in Ada, MI. Discover how we can advocate for you and seek relief for what you are suffering.

How a Family Law Attorney Can Help in a Parental Alienation Matter

An Ada, MI, parental alienation lawyer from Kraayeveld Family Law can help you protect your relationship with your children by:

Assessing Your Case – Our firm can investigate your allegations of parental alienation to find direct or circumstantial evidence of manipulative behavior by your child’s other parent.
Representing You in Court – If necessary, our firm will go to court to pursue whatever relief you need to preserve your relationship with your child. This could include sanctions, custody modifications, requesting a change of custody, or taking your case to the Michigan Court of Appeals.
Ensuring Compliance with Court Orders – We will not hesitate to return to court should your ex continue to attempt to alienate your child from you.

Parental alienation is a serious matter. There’s a lot at stake for your relationship with your child(ren). Because you are feeling immense distress and have crucial questions, we at Kraayeveld Family Law make it a priority to promptly respond to you when you reach out to us. Our law firm’s one-business-day response guarantee assures you that we address your concerns quickly.

What is Parental Alienation?

Parental alienation refers to behavior and actions undertaken by a parent to encourage their child’s rejection of their other parent or undermining their relationship. It can result in children developing parental alienation syndrome (PAS), also called Refuse and Resist Dynamics (RRD), a condition in which a child begins to hate, fear, or refuse a parent as unworthy of having a relationship with the child. A child suffering from a parental alienation situation will speak negatively about the targeted parent, treat that parent with hostility, or even refuse to see or talk to the parent.

Common behaviors that parents may engage in with parental alienation include:

Sharing negative details about the divorce or separation with the child or telling the child that the other parent has fallen behind on child support
Talking negatively about the other parent in the child’s presence
Scheduling the child’s activities to minimize the time they spend with their other parent
Excluding the other parent from the child’s activities, such as refusing to allow the other parent to attend sports games or music/dance recitals
Making the child choose between their parents or asking the child which parent they love more
Telling the child that their other parent does not love them or does not love them as much as the alienating parent
Asking the child about the other parent’s activities during that parent’s custody time
Expressing dissatisfaction that the child spends time with their other parent
Telling the child they do not have to see their other parent when the custody arrangement gives the other parent parenting time
Expressing unfounded concerns about the safety of the other parent’s home
Making false allegations of domestic violence, physical or sexual abuse by the other parent
Constantly calling or texting the child while they spend time with their other parent
Denying parenting time for inconsequential reasons or no reason at all

Unfortunately, targeted parents can also inadvertently foster parental alienation. PAS can occur when a targeted parent repeatedly breaks promises to their child or puts work or personal activities ahead of spending time with their child.

What Are the Warning Signs of Parental Alienation?

Are you concerned that your child’s other parent is attempting to alienate them? Here are some common warning signs of parental alienation:

The child expresses extreme anger or hatred toward the alienated parent and refuses to acknowledge any positive past experiences with them. The child also cannot rationally explain their hostility toward the alienated parent.
The child refuses to speak or visit with the alienated parent or the alienated parent’s family members or friends.
The child takes a hypercritical view of the alienated parent while conversely taking an idealized view of the alienating parent.
The child rejects any suggestion that the alienating parent has influenced their feelings toward the alienated parent.
The child acts rude, ungrateful, and spiteful toward the alienated parent and experiences no guilt or remorse about their behavior. The child may argue that the alienated parent owes them any gifts, benefits, or child support that the alienating parent provides.
The child reflexively sides with the alienating parent in intrafamily disputes.
The child lodges complaints, accusations, or insults toward the alienated parent by using language far too advanced for the child’s vocabulary. It could suggest that the child uses words and phrases they heard from someone else, such as the alienating parent.
The child seems to be spying on the targeted parent.

What Are the Effects of Parental Alienation on Children?

Parental alienation doesn’t just hurt the affected parent — it can also have detrimental consequences on the child due to the destruction of their relationship with the alienated parent. While the child might not consciously recognize that the alienating parent has manipulated them into harming their relationship, the subconscious trauma and eventual realization of what’s happened can take a serious toll. It can take the form of:

Depression – The constant anger or hatred that a child feels for an alienated parent can also cause symptoms of depression. Children may also become depressed if they realize that the alienating parent manipulated them into severing their relationship with their other parent.
Lack of Trust – When children discover the alienating parent’s manipulative behavior, they may develop trust issues with authority figures.
Low Self-Esteem – Children who realize that a parent has manipulated them into alienating their other parent may develop low self-esteem. It can stem from feelings that they were tricked into ruining their relationship with their other parent.
Self-Hatred – Children who ultimately recognize an alienating parent’s manipulation may develop self-hatred. It may stem from the child’s role in destroying their relationship with the alienated parent or the child’s failure to recognize the manipulation at first.
Self-Destructive Behavior – Depression and self-hatred can lead children to engage in self-destructive behavior like cutting or substance abuse.
Suicidal Ideation – Ultimately, depression and self-destructive behavior can culminate in suicidal ideation or even suicide attempts.

How Can I Prove Parental Alienation Is Happening?

If you suspect that your child’s other parent has engaged in parental alienation, gathering the following evidence can help you build your case, but you will likely need the assistance of experts:

Witnesses Testimony – Individuals who may have witnessed the alienating parent’s behavior can testify to that parent’s manipulation of your child. These witnesses might include the parent’s family members, mutual friends, or other parents from your child’s school or sports activities.
Social Media – Parental alienation can sometimes occur online, such as when an alienating parent makes disparaging social media posts against the alienated parent. You might also use social media posts to document an abrupt shift in your child’s behavior or sentiments toward you.
Communication Records – Records of phone calls, text messages, and emails between you and your child’s other parent, or you and your child, could show that your ex has attempted to alienate your child from you.
Records of Your Time with the Child – You can also document the time you spend with your child to chart adverse changes in your child’s behavior toward you.
Parenting Time Denials – Ensure that you file a complaint with the Friend of the Court each time that court ordered parenting time is denied.

If I Can Prove Parental Alienation, What Can the Court Do?

Armed with evidence showing that your child’s other parent has undertaken manipulative behavior to alienate your child from you, you can go to court to seek the following types of relief:

Modification of Custody – A court may attempt to prevent or reverse the effects of parental alienation by modifying the custody arrangement, such as by giving you additional parenting time or primary physical custody.
Obtaining a Court Order for Counseling – The court can also issue an order for all parties to attend counseling to restore the relationship between the targeted parent and the child.
Order for Custody or Forensic Evaluation – The court may also order forensic evaluations to establish whether alienation occurred.
Court Sanction Against the Offending Parent – A court may also impose financial sanctions against the alienating parent, requiring them to reimburse you for legal expenses you incurred as you fought back against parental alienation.
Supervised Parenting Time for the Offending Parent – The court may also require the alienating parent to have supervision during their parenting time to ensure they do not continue manipulative behavior with the child.

Contact Our Parental Alienation Lawyers in Ada, MI, Today

Do you believe your child’s other parent has targeted you for parental alienation? With Kraayeveld Family Law, you’ll get the legal representation you need to defend your rights and repair your relationship with your child. Discover how we can help by contacting us today for a confidential consultation with an Ada family law attorney.