Most children wish to have a good relationship with both parents following divorce. According to research, children often say that the worse thing about a divorce is that they do not get enough time with one or both parents after the split. It may be that the parent they spend the most time with during the week is busy making ends meet on one income or that weekend visits with the other parent just don’t seem like enough. Ideally, parenting plans should strive to provide regular contact with both parents, with an even balance between homes.
On the other side of the coin are children who reject one parent, resist contact or show reluctance to be with one of his or her parents, sometimes resulting in alienation. While some children have good reason to reject a parent, others may suddenly withdraw from a parent with whom they previously had a good relationship aligning themselves with the other parent who may be displaying negative feelings toward their ex-spouse. In these cases, the treatment of the rejected parent is inconsistent to the parent-child relationship they once had and has no apparent relation to the parent’s behavior.
Sometimes, it is a situation in which one parent subconsciously turns their children against the other parent. In extreme cases, one parent may deliberately damage the previously healthy loving relationship between the child and the child’s other parent through various means of manipulation. Unfortunately, this can result in the destruction of the parent child relationship over time.
Of course, pitting a child against his or her parent is a lose – lose situation for the child. The effects for children involved in this tug-of-war have included depression, poor academic performance, self-esteem issues and more. Although emotions can run high in divorce proceedings, and sometimes one parent may wish to punish the other parent, damaging a parent-child relationship should be off-limits.
Of course, malicious behavior can have legal consequences. Some parental alienation actions may be violations of criminal law if child abuse is an issue or there may be violations of civil law, where a parent is denying court ordered visitation. Both can be considered as factors in any proceeding to gain or adjust custody.
Sometimes it can be difficult to prove that the other parent is negatively influencing your relationship with your child, however, there have been cases successfully litigated. Not only has custody been awarded or modified to the benefit of the targeted parent, but sometimes courts may require the meddling parent to seek court ordered counseling and to submit to supervise visitation until the problem is resolved.
Contact an Experienced Wisconsin Parental Alienation Family Law Attorney
If you suspect that your ex is interfering with your relationship with your child or is refusing to allow you to see your child, it is important to seek the help of an experienced Wisconsin parental alienation family law attorney. Put decades of experience to work for you and contact the child custody modification lawyers at Probst Law Offices, S.C. for a free and confidential consultation at 414-210-3135.