Splitting up can be hard on anyone. You and your ex may have some bitter feelings toward one another. You shouldn’t let that motivate you to plant false seeds of abuse in your child’s head. You also shouldn’t let it affect how you speak about your child’s other parent in front of them, either. It could affect custody if one of you does this.
What is parental alienation?
Children are like sponges. They look to their parents as role models and thus someone who wouldn’t lead them astray. If you treat their other parent poorly, accuse them of abuse or talk negatively about them, then they’re going to assume those sentiments are accurate. Your ex could accuse you of parental alienation if this causes your kids to turn against them.
How can parental alienation affect my custody case?
Many moms and dads think that they’ll gain an opportunity to spend more time with their kids if they paint their ex in a bad light.
While the kids may initially have others convinced that their preference for one parent versus another is genuine, they’ll likely soon see through that and realize a mom or dad’s parental alienation efforts.
Any parent that can prove that their ex badmouthed them or forced their kids to make false abuse accusations may have a valid claim for a custody modification. A judge may reduce a mom or dad’s supervised visitation or even deprive them of their custodial rights as a result.
The downside of raising parental alienation concerns
What’s often frustrating about the family law system is that courts don’t generally afford parents an attorney to argue their case for them. The court has significant leeway when making such rulings, though. They generally rule in favor of the party that they believe caused the most convincing argument in the end.
Perhaps the best thing you can do if your ex accuses you of parental alienation is to consult with a child custody attorney. Your Knoxville lawyer will want to know more about your relationship with your kids and any recent transitions it may have undergone before advising you of the best strategies you may be able to pursue in your Tennessee case.