The challenges of maintaining close, healthy parent-child relationships after a marriage breaks down are virtually impossible to overstate. One of the most difficult scenarios to deal with is either parent's belief that the other is poisoning a child's views and unfairly turning that child against him or her.
Although the psychiatric validity of "Parental Alienation Syndrome" may have been largely debunked, the fact that this occurs during and after some divorces is undeniable. California family courts take such allegations very seriously when issuing custody orders in contested divorce cases and evaluating petitions for post-divorce modifications.
Is Your Divorcing Spouse or Ex-Spouse Turning Your Child Against You? Are You Being Unjustly Accused of Parental Alienation?
If parental alienation is damaging your relationship with your child or you have been accused of unfairly causing a child-parent dispute, fast action to get experienced legal counsel is essential. At The Law Offices of Burch & Coulston, LLP, we will take your situation seriously, offer sound guidance and take steps to resolve the problem in your favor. Our proven capabilities extend to situations involving:
- Resolution of emotionally complex and intense custody disputes
- Breakdowns in parent-child communication that may call for early intervention, counseling and reunification therapy
- Denials of court-ordered visitation/parenting time that are attributed to a child refusing to spend time with a noncustodial parent
- Allegations of domestic violence, substance abuse and mental health issues
Early Intervention May Be Critical for Your Child and Your Future
Many people's instincts when they suspect parental alienation are to wait the situation out — but this can lead to serious personal loss and regret. Allowing an ex-spouse to treat a child like an adult confidante and air grievances against you, for example, could make it extremely difficult to restore your child's faith and confidence in the future.
Our dedicated Orange County family lawyers will help you explore and pursue options such as involving a qualified family therapist to expose the truth about what is going on. We will strive to protect your child's well-being and your rights as a parent, whether the best approach involves demanding a custody evaluation, pursuing a custody modification or taking other appropriate action.
Our attorneys' approach to parental alienation claims is compassionate and balanced. Whether you are the victim of such actions or you are being falsely accused, we urge you to contact us now.
