What is parental alienation?

Many people have never heard of parental alienation. Unfortunately, the prevalence of parental alienation syndrome in many high conflict family law cases cannot be ignored. There is often discord when it comes to divorces or child custody (timesharing) disputes, which is normal to some extent. For the best interests of the children, though, parents must do their best to shield the children from adult issues and foster a loving relationship with both parents.

But what happens if a parent refuses to shield the children from the conflict between the parents? What happens if a parent tries to make their child an ally against the other parent instead of allowing the child to have a good, loving relationship with the other parent? That is where parental alienation becomes an issue. Parental alienation, according to the DSM-V Manual, is a form of psychological abuse "in which a child, usually one whose parents are engaged in a high conflict divorce, allies himself or herself strongly with one parent, and rejects a relationship with the other parent, without legitimate justification.”

At Prescott Legal, above all else, we recognize the seriousness of the psychological harm which may be caused by parental alienation and we believe children should be free of the pains of divorce and custody disputes as much as possible.

Parental alienation is not widely understood by many in the legal community, making it difficult for parents to get the help they need or even find a therapist and attorney who knows the signs of parental alienation. Teresa Prescott believes it is every child's right to be free of physical, emotional and psychological abuse. She has assisted many parents with this very difficult issue. Do you believe your children may be subject to parental alienation? Call our office today and let us help you in and around the Greater Tampa Bay area.