Caring Parental Alienation Lawyers Protecting Families Throughout Round Rock

Children often get caught in the middle of their parents’ disputes during custody battles or other family law issues. If your child seems to be growing distant from you without reason, you may suspect that the other parent is turning them against you. This can hurt your relationship with your child in many ways.

Parental alienation in Texas is a serious issue that often requires legal assistance. At Heinrich Christian, PLLC, our experienced family law attorneys know how to navigate these sensitive cases to help parents and children protect their relationships.

What Is Parental Alienation?

Parental alienation is one parent’s attempt at distancing their child’s relationship with their other parent. This parent will use manipulation and abuse to negatively affect the other parent’s relationship with their child. Some examples of parental alienation include:

• Fabrication: A parent may tell their child made-up stories about the alienated parent. These stores may make the alienated parent look neglectful or abusive, so the child develops a negative attitude toward them.
• Withholding contact: An alienated parent may withhold visitation and custody time from the other parent to break down the bond between them and their child. The parents may tell their children lies about why their child can not see their other parent, which creates resentment and estrangement.
• Encouraging bad behavior: A parent may encourage their child to reject the alienated parent, reward their child’s behavior for avoiding the alienated parent or act poorly in their presence.

These examples of parental alienation can have lasting effects on the relationship between the alienated parent and their children.

Recognizing Signs Of Parental Alienation

The parent who is orchestrating the alienation may use a variety of tactics such as manipulation, isolation and false accusations to turn the child against the other parent. The child may become increasingly hostile toward the other parent and come to rely on the alienating parent more. If you believe this may be happening with your child, it’s important to watch out for common signs of parental alienation, including:

• Your child displays insistent support for the alienating parent.
• Your child unjustly criticizes you.
• Your child is hostile toward you and your friends or relatives.
• Your child repeats the alienating parent’s opinions as their own.
• Your child shows no feelings of guilt for their actions.
• Your child puts the alienating parent on a pedestal.
• Your child believes their rejection of you is their own idea.
• Your child rejects or destroys gifts you give them.
• The alienating parent limits the time your child spends with you.
• The alienating parent withholds the child’s medical or academic information from you.
• The alienating parent puts the child in a position to choose between them and you.
• The alienating parent makes the child believe you are dangerous.

Any of these signs can indicate parental alienation is at play. If you suspect this is happening between you and your child, you need to speak to an attorney as soon as possible.

The Serious Impact Of Parental Alienation

Parental alienation impacts everyone involved in different ways. The child who has been manipulated to turn against their parent may develop anxiety, depression and self-hatred. In Texas, parental alienation is considered a form of psychological abuse and must be taken seriously. Common consequences of parental alienation include:

• Psychological and emotional distress for the child
• Long-term psychological trauma for the child
• A damaged relationship with the targeted parent
• Loss of parental rights for the alienating parent

By working with our skilled and knowledgeable family law attorneys, we can help investigate your situation and help you fight back against the alienating parent. We’ll build a strong case that can modify custody arrangements and limit the alienating parent’s time with your child or terminate their parental rights entirely.

Proving parental alienation isn’t easy as it is often viewed as a he-said, she-said matter, but our team is experienced in handling these cases and will thoroughly prepare a case with evidence to show that the other parent has harmed you and your child.

Taking legal action can protect your child and your relationship with them, but your child may also need the additional support of therapists or counselors to overcome the impact of alienation. We’ll help you through this difficult process so you and your child can move forward together.

Consult A Trusted Family Law Attorney Today

A parent-child relationship is something that shouldn’t be toyed with. If your child’s other parent is displaying negative behaviors and turning your child against you, you deserve to hold them accountable. The lawyers at Heinrich Christian, PLLC, can help.

Call us today at 512-456-8386 to schedule a consultation or send an email online. We represent parents throughout Round Rock and surrounding areas.