Can Parent Alienation Impact Child Custody?

The Tennessee family court may have decided on a child custody arrangement it believed, at the time, worked in the best interest of your child. However, the court also understands that circumstances change and certain realizations are made after the fact. For example, once your divorce is finalized and your child custody arrangement is in action, you may come to realize that your former spouse is purposefully alienating your child from you. This is when you may have to ask the court to respond. Continue reading to learn whether parent alienation can impact a child custody arrangement and how one of the experienced Clarksville child custody lawyers at Fendley and Etson can work to protect the relationship you and your child share.

What does parent alienation look like?

Essentially, parent alienation is a strategy whereby one parent intentionally psychologically manipulates their child to harbor unjustified negativity toward their other parent and thereby grow estranged from their other parent. Unfortunately, this may be considered a form of emotional abuse, and it typically arises in the event of a divorce.

That said, a parent may initially engage in such parent alienation behaviors by speaking poorly about their child’s other parent in front of them. This may be seen by a parent making disparaging comments about the other parent’s faults. Or, by falsely accusing the other parent of not wanting to see their child, not wanting custody rights over their child, or not wanting to pay support for their child. Then, this may turn to extreme measures of making their child feel guilty for spending time with their other parent, making the child withhold important information from their other parent, making the child limit contact with their other parent and their extended family, etc.

Is it possible for parent alienation to impact a child custody arrangement?

You must understand that the Tennessee family court that established your initial child custody arrangement may still be authorized to modify its previous orders. This is to say that you must formally file a post-judgment modification with the court and claim parent alienation as the issue. If you can successfully prove its existence, through witness testimonies, written communications, and more, then the court may make any of the following orders:

• The court may completely strip the custody rights the alienating parent has over their child.
• The court may permanently and positively modify the custody rights the alienated parent has over their child.
• The court may order the visitation hours the alienating parent has with their child to be completely supervised from here on out.
• The court may significantly extend the visitation hours the alienated parent has with their child.

In conclusion, if you believe you need a nudge in the right direction, you should feel comfortable turning to one of the skilled Clarksville family lawyers for aid. With that being said, do not hesitate to contact Fendley and Etson.