What You Need to Know About Parental Alienation in New Jersey

When parents divorce, one of the most difficult and hotly-contested issues are those involving child custody. Fortunately, in many cases, parents will put their differences aside and simply do everything in their power to make the transition as seamless as possible for their child. However, unfortunately, this does not always happen. In many instances, child custody battles are fierce, and they are damaging to both parents and their children. In the worst cases, one parent may attempt to alienate the child from the other parent, or otherwise sabotage the other parent’s relationship with the child. This is unacceptable, though it happens far more often than you may think. This is referred to as parental alienation.

Parental alienation comes in many forms. Sometimes, it is direct, such as negative or insulting comments about the other parents. In other cases, it is not so obvious to children, but it is still a form of manipulation or alienation. For example, one parent might make up white lies about the other, or somehow attempt to “rescue” the child from the other parent in certain situations, leading to a subconscious understanding in the child that one parent is better than the other. No matter the form of parental alienation, it is wrong, and it can have serious psychological effects on a child and can cause serious childhood trauma. For this very reason, if you suspect that your former spouse is alienating you, there is a very good chance that you are looking to take action to stop this behavior, for your sake, and, of course, that of your child. Our Bergen County family law attorneys can help.

Do I have legal options as an alienated parent?

You do. If you believe your former spouse is alienating you from your children, you can seek a child custody modification to limit the amount of time your children spend with your toxic former spouse. You can also file a child custody enforcement complaint. When one spouse is not looking out for their child’s best interests, that spouse is breaking the custody agreement, and courts can take action against him or her. The bottom line is that if you believe you are the victim of parental alienation, our firm is here to help. All you have to do is give us a call.

Contact our experienced Bergen County firm

At Townsend, Tomaio & Newmark, our attorneys have extensive experience helping clients to understand and protect their legal rights before, during, and after the divorce process in towns across New Jersey and Bergen County, including Hackensack, Ridgewood, Paramus, Teaneck, and Fort Lee. To speak with our team of divorce lawyers today in a free and confidential consultation regarding your concerns about your divorce, please contact us online, or through our Hackensack, NJ office at (201) 397-1750.

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