What Is Parental Alienation Syndrome?

Sharing children can drastically change the tenor and outcome of divorce proceedings, as it tends to add a significant amount of stress and emotional upheaval. Visitation can be a contentious part of divorce, with some co-parents attempting to turn their children against the other co-parent. Unfortunately, these attempts sometimes prove successful, especially in cases of Parental Alienation Syndrome (PAS).

Defining Parental Alienation Syndrome 

“Parental alienation syndrome” is a term used to describe one parent’s attempt to denigrate the other, often during divorce proceedings. Parents who engage in this kind of behavior may blame the other for the collapse of the marriage, convince the child that the other parent isn’t interested in a relationship, or even move farther away to make visitation more difficult. Besides being unfair, parental alienation can have devastating emotional effects on the child involved, causing him or her to feel confused, lonely, and depressed.

Signs of Parental Alienation 

There are a number of different signs that can indicate that a parent is engaging in parental alienation, including:

• Restricting the amount of time that a child can spend with his or her other parent;
• Defying court visitation orders;
• Making negative comments about the other parent in the child’s presence;
• Levying false accusations of abuse or neglect;
• Relocating with no apparent cause, such as a new job opportunity;
• Withholding academic, medical, or other important information about the child; and
• Interfering with communication between the parent and child.

Evidence of these kinds of tactics on the part of one co-parent can be used in a Florida divorce case, as it is unlawful to interfere with a child’s visitation and a co-parent’s parental rights.

Parental Alienation and Divorce Proceedings 

When making decisions about visitation rights and parental responsibilities, Florida courts are directed to take a child’s best interests into account and when possible, to encourage an ongoing and strong relationship with both parents. When one parent attempts to interfere with this or undermine their co-parent’s relationship, it could end up negatively impacting a custody claim. A court could step in and order the wrongdoer to cease engaging in certain behaviors, could seek enforcement of a visitation order, or could even hold the at-fault party in contempt of court. Courts can also order families to engage in counseling, especially if the child has begun exhibiting alarming behaviors as a result of the co-parent’s manipulation tactics.

Contact an Experienced Child Custody Lawyer for Help 

Parental alienation syndrome can have emotionally devastating consequences for a child, which is why it’s so important for a parent who believes that another co-parent is engaging in underhanded parenting tactics, to try and hold that person accountable. This may require going to court, in which case, having an experienced Fort Lauderdale child custody attorney on your side can make all the difference. To learn more about your parental rights and what you can do to protect them, both in and out of the courtroom, please call the law offices of Sandra Bonfiglio, P.A. at 954-945-7591 today.

Sources:

psychologytoday.com/us/basics/parental-alienation

leg.mt.gov/content/Committees/Interim/2023-2024/Law-and-Justice/Meetings/May-2024/6.What-is-Parental-Alienation-staff-paper.pdf