Parental alienation is something with which too many Massachusetts residents are familiar. This is where one parent does or says things to his or her children in an effort to harm their relationship with the other parent. This kind of behavior can ultimately lead to a custody dispute in which going to court is necessary. Legal counsel can help victims of alienating parents seek fair access to their children and seek to have the offending parties held responsible for their actions.
Parental alienation is not seen in every divorce case. There are divorced couples out there who believe that children benefit from having both parents in their lives in a positive way — and they are right. Unfortunately, when a divorce is ugly, emotions are running high and punishing one’s spouse becomes the goal. Parental alienation is one form of punishment that might be used.
There are a number of ways in which a person may be able to turn one’s children on the other parent. For starters, he or she may simply refuse to allow their exes their scheduled parenting time. Some people may stop there, while others may speak negatively about their exes to their children or tell their kids lies about the other parent. No matter what is done, it is emotionally traumatizing to the affected children and can forever ruin the parent-child relationship.
No good, caring and usually actively involved parent deserves to have his or her children alienated because of a former spouses’ need for revenge or punishment. If one finds him or herself a victim of parental alienation, it may be possible to fight to protect the children from unnecessary harm and protect one’s parental rights. When a custody dispute is the product of parental alienation, Massachusetts residents can turn to legal counsel for assistance addressing the matter as quickly as possible.
