Parental alienation occurs when on parent starts slowly trying to shift the children's opinions of another parent in order to become the favorite. Typically, parental alienation is a verbal process. A parent will start to say negative things about his or her ex and will continue to talk that parent down until the children no longer enjoy the other parent the way that they once used to.
While most parental alienation is done through words, it can also be done through bribery. This is a common issue post-divorce in many marriages. This is especially true if feuding parents have shared custody or if the children are at an age where they can tell the courts which parent they want to live with and are currently trying to make that decision. Parental alienation by bribery is a prominent occurrence at Christmastime. This is when parents may try to outdo each other with gifts.
For example, Mom may buy her 10-year-old daughter a new pair of skates for Christmas. The child may be thrilled about the skates, but then she goes to Dad's house for the second half of the day. The skates are immediately forgotten when her father gives her a brand new Golden Retriever puppy. The child all of a sudden decides that she wants to live with her father because the puppy is at his house and she wants to spend time with it. Slowly, she is drawing away from her mother and towards her father.
Parental alienation can be dealt with in the courts. It is illegal, and courts may fail to modify custody orders despite a child's desire if the child only makes the decision based on parental alienation situations. If you want more information about parental alienation, then talk with a professional attorney at our Los Angeles Divorce firm! At Claery & Hammond, the attorneys are focused on seeking your best interests in any case. Hire the firm today to learn more!