Orlando Parental Alienation Lawyer

Divorce and separation can be messy. Co-parenting can also be complicated, even if you were never married to your child’s other parent. When emotions run high, it’s often the children who suffer the most. If you believe that your child’s other parent is trying to sabotage your relationship with your child, it’s important to consult an experienced Orlando parental alienation lawyer immediately.

At Conti Moore Law Divorce Lawyers, PLLC, our lawyers in Orlando, FL, have over 50 years of experience handling sensitive family law matters. We can help you stop further alienation so that you can rebuild your relationship with your child.

There’s no risk in reaching out for legal advice. Contact our law offices in Orlando, Florida, at (407) 831-0203 to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case today.

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How Can Conti Moore Law Divorce Lawyers, PLLC, Help With a Parental Alienation Case in Orlando?

Child custody in a divorce can be a hot-button issue. Even after the divorce agreement and custody arrangement are finalized, those negative feelings can continue. If your child’s other parent engages in behaviors that are damaging to your relationship with the child, an experienced Orlando family law attorney can help.

At Conti Moore Law Divorce Lawyers, PLLC, our lawyers have earned a perfect-10.0 Avvo Rating for our high-quality legal representative. We’ve also been named to Super Lawyers Rising Stars for six consecutive years.

When you choose our Orlando family law attorneys, we will:

Offer sound legal guidance so that you can make smart decisions
Investigate to locate evidence that parental alienation has occurred
Help you find resources to repair your relationship
Engage in mediation or arbitration to find a solution
Advocate to protect your parental rights in court if necessary

You can count on our Orlando family lawyers to do everything we can to protect your child. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help.

What Is Parental Alienation?

Most parents want to protect their children from any type of harm. However, in a divorce or separation, tensions often run high. Sometimes parents create a situation where the child is forced to take sides.

Parental alienation occurs when one parent tries to turn the child against the other parent. While parental alienation is not technically a legal issue, it is a significant problem. It’s a form of psychological manipulation. Parental alienation occurs when one parent takes steps to distance the child from the other parent.

The term “parental alienation” itself refers to the impact that the parent’s behavior has on the child. Many different types of behavior can cause a child to become alienated from their other parent.

Examples of situations that can lead to parental alienation include situations where one parent:

Tells the child that the other parent doesn’t want to see them or doesn’t love them
Provides inappropriate or excessive details about why the marriage ended, such as abuse, lies, or cheating
Bad mouths the other parent
Creates fear of the other parent, perhaps by telling the child the parent is abusive
Interferes with the other parent’s visitation time or attempts to isolate the child from that parent
Makes the child feel guilty about their relationship with the other parent

In situations involving parental alienation, one parent takes steps to “program” or “brainwash” the child to distance the child from the other parent.

Parental alienation can be intentional when one parent specifically aims to undermine the child’s relationship with the other parent. On the other hand, it can also be completely unintentional. Sometimes one parent’s words and actions can have unintended consequences, such as when a parent simply speaks poorly of the other parent in the wake of a divorce.

Regardless of the circumstances, parental alienation can have serious consequences for the child. As such, it’s never okay to allow the alienation to continue.

How Common Is Parental Alienation?

Parental alienation is, unfortunately, extremely common. Some studies have found that about one in every four children involved in a divorce experience parental alienation. Because approximately 40% to 50% of all marriages end in divorce, a significant number of children suffer because of parental alienation.

What Are Some Common Forms of Parental Alienation?

Parental alienation can come in all shapes and sizes.

Some common forms of parental alienation include:

Actively arguing with the other parent in front of the child
Allowing a young child to skip visitation with the other parent frequently
Blocking the other parent’s number in the child’s cell phone
Keeping important details about the child’s life and activities secret from the other parent
Questioning the other parent’s authority
Making it difficult for the other parent to call or contact the child
Frequently ignores a time-sharing agreement

Parental alienation is a form of child abuse. It can cause severe mental health disorders and damage to the child’s health and well-being. If you believe your child’s other parent is engaging in conduct that could lead to parental alienation, reach out to our law firm for legal advice today. Your case review is always 100% free of charge, so there’s no risk in learning more about your legal options.

What Are Some of the Signs and Symptoms of Parental Alienation in Children?

Parental alienation can be subtle. It’s important to pay close attention to any signs and symptoms that your child has become a victim of parental alienation.

Those signs can be varied. They may include:

Unwavering support for the alienating parent
Unreasonably idealistic views of the alienating parent
Fear, hatred, or unreasonably negative feelings about the alienated parent
Making false accusations against the alienated parent

When parents argue, children are often caught in the middle. That can significantly damage the relationship between parent and child. If you notice any of these signs of alienation, call our child custody attorneys today. We offer a free consultation so that you can get the legal advice you deserve.

What Are the Long-Term Consequences of Parental Alienation?

The long-term consequences of parental alienation can be widespread. When one parent uses a child to undermine the other parent, it’s the child who may struggle with the consequences for years to come.

Of course, one of the most significant consequences of parental alienation is damage to the relationship between you and your child. Many victims fall out of contact with their parents, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Unfortunately, the list does not end there.

Some of the most significant and common consequences of parental alienation include:

Low self-esteem
Self-hatred
Depression
Anxiety disorders
Fear
Substance abuse
Learning disorders
Lack of trust

If you believe your co-parent or former spouse is engaging in parental alienation, it’s important to take legal action right away. An experienced Orlando parental alienation attorney can help you take steps to remedy the situation immediately.

How Do I Prove Parental Alienation in Florida?

It can be incredibly difficult to prove parental alienation. After all, it can be tough to prove that your child’s feelings and actions toward you are somehow linked to your co-parent’s behavior and manipulations.

It’s important to carefully document any instances where your child’s other parent undermines you, lies about you, or otherwise engages in behavior that interferes with your relationship or child custody arrangement.

Our lawyers can also arrange a mental health assessment and evaluation. Typically, a child custody evaluation may include:

Separately interviewing each parent
Observing interactions between each parent and the child
Extensive interviews with your child
Interviews with teachers and caregivers
Testimony from neighbors, friends, and others who are involved in the family’s life

Most parties who engage in parental alienation don’t take steps to actively conceal their behaviors. Our lawyers can also search to locate hard evidence that parental alienation has been occurring. That might include text messages or emails. Evidence of parental alienation may also be found in the parent or child’s social media accounts and postings.

What Types of Action Can I Take To Stop Parental Alienation?

Parental alienation is not a crime. However, courts are concerned with your child’s best interests. In fact, under Florida law, child custody and parental visitation agreements are based on what is in the best interests of the child. If you can prove that your co-parent is not acting in your child’s best interests, a judge has the authority to modify your child custody arrangement.

However, taking the child away from their other parent often is not the best solution. It can actually serve to further damage the child’s well-being in some child custody cases. Mediation is often the best first step to provide a remedy and repair the relationships.

Additional steps may include:

Therapy for the child
Group therapy for the parent
Parenting classes
Reunification therapy

The alienating parent can be held financially accountable for the costs associated with their behavior.

Contact an Experienced Orlando Parental Alienation Lawyer for a Free Consultation

It can be difficult to endure a broken relationship with your child. If the damage to your relationship was caused by your child’s other parent, an experienced Orlando parental alienation lawyer can help you get relief. Contact Conti Moore Law Divorce Lawyers, PLLC to learn more about your rights and options today.

Conti Moore Law Divorce Lawyers, PLLC
815 N Magnolia Ave Suite 100
Orlando, FL 32803
(407) 831-0203

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