Galveston County Parental Alienation Lawyer
Parental alienation is a term used to describe the systematic attempts of one parent to destroy the relationship between his or her child and the child’s other parent. Unfortunately, parental alienation is often used as a tactic in custody proceedings and can cause long-lasting and serious damage to parent-child relationships. As a result of the potentially damaging effects of parental alienation, Texas family courts have recently begun to address the issue during custody proceedings. If you are going through a divorce and you believe that your spouse’s behavior is affecting your relationship with your child, please contact one of the experienced Galveston County parental alienation lawyers at the law firm of Lindamood & Robinson, P.C. and we will help explain your legal options.
Common Symptoms
Although it can be difficult to prove, there are a few common signs that are indicative that parental alienation is occurring, including when:
- A child has knowledge of details related to the legal aspects of the divorce;
- One parent schedules events that may tempt the child to miss a visit with the other parent;
- One parent deprives the other parent of information about the child’s educational and social activities;
- The child shows a sudden negative change in behavior towards one parent;
- A parent refuses to allow the child to take his or her possessions to the other parent’s house;
- A parent listens to telephone conversations and reads emails and texts exchanged between the child and the other parent;
- One parent is unilaterally cutting back the other parent’s access to the child;
- The child is given the option to choose whether to visit a parent even when the court has ordered otherwise; and
- One parent blames the other for financial difficulties or lifestyle changes in front of the child.
If a court suspects that parental alienation is taking place, it may ask parenting facilitators or forensic psychologists to meet with both the child and the parents individually to discover the source of the problem, at which point the judge may modify an existing or temporary custody arrangement.
Parental Alienation and How We Can Help
Parental alienation can be a serious threat to the parent-child relationship. Our firm has access to renowned mental health experts who can help establish whether or not a parent’s behavior is negatively affecting a child’s relationship with his or her other parent. We may also be able to help you modify your current custody agreement so that the other spouse has fewer opportunities to negatively influence your child.
Contact a Galveston County Parental Alienation Lawyer
Although behavior that causes parental alienation is often intentional, it can also be the result of a parent’s inability to understand the effect that his or her behavior is having on a child. Whether intentional or accidental, parental alienation can have long-lasting repercussions on parent-child relationships, so if you live in Galveston County and have reason to believe that your child is being unduly influenced by your former spouse, please contact the law firm of Lindamood & Robinson, P.C. by calling 713-654-2112 and we will help you schedule a one-on-one consultation with an experienced family law lawyer who can address your questions and concerns.
