As we’ve discussed previously on the blog, parental alienation is real, and it can be extraordinarily harmful to kids. Courts have become more receptive to parental alienation arguments, too, making them a key piece of child custody cases throughout Arizona. While you should certainly raise the issue of parental alienation if you suspect that the other parent is manipulating your child, what if you’re on the receiving end of those allegations? You don’t want the court to buy into the other parent’s false narrative about your character and your parenting abilities, which means you need to come to the table ready to set the record straight and effectively counter the other parent’s arguments.
You have to take allegations of parental alienation seriously. If you don’t, then the court is likely going to side with the other parent, thus leading to restricted time with your child and perhaps even a damaged relationship with them. So, once false allegations of manipulation have been let loose, prepare to do the following to protect yourself, your relationship with your child and your child’s best interests:
- Seek an independent medical evaluation: As part of their parental alienation arguments, the other parent may claim that the child has made statements about you or the way they feel about spending time with you. If that’s the case, you may want an independent mental health professional to evaluate your child to determine how they truly feel and what’s underlining any statements that they may be making. You could find that the other parent has coached them or that what they’ve said has been taken out of context.
- Request a custody evaluation: Here, a neutral third-party reviews relevant records, interviews the parties and observes parenting time to ultimately come to a conclusion about what sort of custody arrangement supports the child’s best interests. This can give the court an unbiased perspective and shine a light on the strong bond and relationship that you have with your child, despite what the other parent claims.
- Find contradictory evidence: The other parent’s allegations may be broad, but they might also contain specific instances of parental shortcomings. You can combat these arguments by presenting contradictory evidence. For example, if the other parent broadly asserts that you don’t have a bond with your child, you can have family members and friends testify to the interactions you’ve had with your child and what they observed of your relationship with the child. This could discredit the other parent’s assertions.
- Attack reliability: You don’t want the court to base a custody or visitation decision on unreliable evidence. Yet, that’s exactly what could happen if you don’t address the credibility of the other parent’s evidence. So, look for ways to attack reliability, whether that be pointing out inconsistent statements, a history of untruthfulness or a motivation to lie.
Cases involving allegations of parental alienation can become highly contentious. Don’t let that scare you, though. Instead, use it as a motivating factor to gather evidence that effectively counters the other parent’s assertions and focuses on your child’s best interests. With strong evidence and compelling legal arguments on your side, you may be able to successfully discredit parental alienation claims and secure the custody or visitation order that’s best for your child. To learn more about how to get a handle on the unique circumstances of your child custody case, be sure to reach out to your attorney.