Badmouthing of one party by the other party often is an unfortunate by-product of divorce. When child custody is involved, however, the denigration of one parent by the other parent may have devastating legal and psychological consequences.
A parent may even deliberately strive to alienate the child from the other parent and undermine their relationship. “Parental alienation” is the manipulation of a child into having unwarranted fear, hostility, or dislike towards a parent. This article will address: (1) general factors considered in custody cases; (2) the elements of parental alienation; (3) legal consequences of parental alienation; and (4) the deleterious impact of parental alienation on children.
