Divorce and custody cases are difficult for everyone involved, even if the case is settled without the necessity of going to court.  Ending a relationship and moving forward with a new stage of life can be challenging, especially if you share children with your soon-to-be former spouse or significant other.  In the optimal situation, the parents will cooperate to co-parent the child.  Unfortunately, this does not always happen.  In some cases, one of the parents will try to undermine the relationship between the children and the other parent.  Parental alienation is a serious problem, and you should be on the lookout for common red flags.

One common red flag is if your child seems to know all of the details about the divorce.  The parent attempting to alienate the child will provide the details surrounding the demise of the relationship or marriage, especially when these details involve infidelity.  The alienating parent will feed this information to the child in the hopes the child will feel angry and distant at the other parent.

Another common red flag is if your child is constantly taking the side of the other parent or spouse.  If your child is always showing disproportionate anger toward you and seems to blame you alone for the divorce, it is very possible that the child is simply adopting the attitude and anger displayed by the alienating parent.  Keep in mind that it is normal for a child to show some anger and hostility during or after a divorce.  When the anger seems very one-sided to just one parent, however, that can be a sign of parental alienation.

If the other parent is constantly withholding information, this is also a red flag.  Refusing to keep you updated about soccer games, school plays, or other major events is a common tactic because it makes the child believe you do not prioritize him or her.  Forgetting one or two events over the years is not typically intentional alienation.  However, if there is a clear pattern of  “forgetting” to keep you updated about major events, the other parent may be intentionally trying to alienate the child from you.

Call us today at (320) 299-4249 for a consultation.  We have extensive experience helping our clients during custody disputes involving parental alienation, and we can help you.