Parental alienation is one of the most severe problems that can arise in a divorce. Determining child custody is hard enough, but it becomes even harder when one parent actively tries to brainwash the child to believe the other parent conspires against him or her.
Research indicates parental alienation occurs in approximately 11 to 15% of all divorces. If you and your spouse plan on divorcing, then you need to work together to ensure this phenomenon does not happen to your children. Preventing this form of alienation is sure to keep everyone happier through this tumultuous time.
Go to counseling
You may already know you want the marriage to end. Counseling may not necessarily help save the relationship, but it can help both parties remain more amicable toward each other. You may not want to continue the marriage, but it will help both of you to view the divorce from the other’s perspective. In the event the other spouse refuses to go to counseling, you should make a note of that. You may need to show a court later that you tried to talk it out, but the other parent refused.
Maintain communication records
If the other parent refuses to let you see the child, even though the child custody agreement says otherwise, then you also need to make a note of that. You should send communications to your ex-spouse via email or text so you can easily show a judge you attempted to resolve the issue amicably.
Take it seriously
You should not make any mistake: Parental alienation is a form of abuse. Children should be able to respect both parents, so when one actively conspires against the other, it damages the children. You need to remain persistent and try to show your kids the truth. Even if your children want nothing to do with you, you need to be the bigger person and work to undo the damage your spouse has done.
